Zootopia: The Silver Clan
by Robin Hood 24
Summary: Nick had it all. After graduating, he finds himself in the ZPD with Judy Hopps. But after losing a close friend, Nick finds himself bent for revenge. Will the fox lose himself, or will he find a way to move on? Previous Chapter: Letting Go. Rated T/M for minor language, alcohol and some adult content.
1. Prologue

Prologue

_Zootopia_ – _Nick's Apartment_

_Okay Wilde, this is your night._

Nick stripped off his ZPD uniform, carelessly tossing it on the bathroom floor and stepp slowly into the tub. He turned the water on high and let it rain over his head in steamy rivulets. Closing his eyes to the water as the heat and moisture wet his fur and soaked his skin, Nick leaned against the cool tiles of the wall, his muscles protesting from a long day at work.

The ZPD, after several months of gathering information and working with a confidential informant had finally shut down a drug ring operating out of Tundratown. The polar bear Nick had taken in custody had escaped and tossed him aside like a ragdoll. As his back slammed against the street light, the polar bear raised his claw to strike the dazed and defenseless fox. As his claw fell, the criminal froze up and fell down on the icy ground, his muscles twitching and causing him to be paralyzed as electricity coursed through his body.

Nick slowly got up from the ground, shaking flakes of snow off his fur and looked up at his savior, stretching his back, and immediately wishing he hadn't done so. Pain washed over him and the fox bit back a curse.

Judy Hopps, stepped forward and with her steely purple eyes, glared at the bear. Her paw was clenched around the Taser gun as she raised it up in the sight of the bear. "Mr. Veras," she started, "We have evidence of you dealing drugs out of your shop in Tundratown. Would you want to add an 'assault of a police officer' charge to your already impressive repertoire?" There was a pause, then Judy continued, "I didn't think so. Remember, there's more where that came from."

Nick smiled as his tough partner walked to him. "I'm so sorry Nick." Judy started with concern creeping into her voice. "I should have paid more attention to him."

The fox only shrugged. "You stepped in at the right time. I owe you one."

Judy snorted. "Add that to the list…" she held up a paw "Before you ask, we're at twelve."

"Eleven!" Nick protested, "That one time didn't count! We weren't on the job!"

Judy rolled her eyes and casted a small smile "And I thought you didn't need help with your dating life?"

Nick's heart raced, as Judy leaned down turned around and bellowed to the rhinoceros standing by Veras. "McHorn! Do you mind escorting him back to the headquarters please? Take Wolfard and Estrada with you."

The burly animal nodded and obeyed her orders. Even though he, Wolfard and Estrada was her senior by many years, Hopps gained the admiration and respect of every police in the department. Within a few moments, the polar bear disappeared in the car, surrounded by reporters and admirers clamoring for Judy.

The bunny sighed and looked back at Nick. "I need to go to talk to them."

"I can go tell them to back off," Nick offered.

Judy shook her head. "This is something I need to take care of. If I don't talk to them now, they'll hound me for days." She glared at the media. "Vultures," she muttered under her breath.

Nick overheard her remark, jutted his thumb towards a vulture standing in the corner, away from the chaos and smiled. "I'll tell Valerie you said that."

Judy looked towards the confident informant, then glared at her partner. "You wouldn't dare," she growled.

Nick flipped open his aviator sunglasses and put them on. "Alright… I promise I won't tell her, on one condition."

His partner placed her paws on her hips and sighed, "Name it."

"You have dinner with me… tonight. 8 P.M. I'll pick you up."

Hopps sighed and shook her head. "I can't do that Nick! The ZPD forbids dating!"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Nick raised his paws up. "Who said anything about dating Carrots?" The sly fox placed one paw in his pocket as he gave a half smile, enjoying watching her face reddened, "We're friends. Consider this one a payment of what I owe you?"

Judy pondered for a moment. "Zassy Zebra's"

Nick did an exaggerated bow, "As you wish."

Judy beamed. "It's a deal. After dinner, you owe me eleven right?"

Nick shook his head as he turned and walked towards Valerie. He needed to put her under pretend arrest to avoid any suspicion placed upon her as she worked within Veras' group. Because Veras needed his operation to expand, he brought in "representatives" from each district, Valerie being from Sahara Square. "Ten!" he called behind him.

Judy chuckled softly to herself as she watched the fox stride away from her. With his smile, charm and mannerism, she couldn't bring herself to argue with him. She made a mental note to herself to never let Nick get the better of her, but every time she did that, she failed.

Nick gave a small glance behind him and saw the petite little bunny turn around and walk towards the media. He hated hustling her, as he had left his previous life behind when he joined the ZPD. But he was willing to do so if it meant spending more time with her. He sighed inwardly as he gave himself a small goofy smile, _tonight is your night Wilde._

The warm water snapped the vulpine back to the present as the fox turned around to let it run down his back. He placed a paw against the wall, arching his sore back to receive the majority of the warmth. _How have I fallen in love with her?_

He knew that he fell for her since she came back to him to solve the case of the Night Howlers. Immediately, Nick corrected himself, _It was during the cable car ride in the Rainforest District. She saw the good in me when no one would._

The vulpine groaned loudly as he turned around to begin washing himself. _Tonight is the night you tell her how you really feel. _He was excited at the prospect of telling her, but inwardly he was terrified. Terrified that the other animals in Zootopia would judge them for cross-species dating. But most of all, he was terrified of the idea that he would lose her as a friend when he shared his confession.

Nick turned off the shower and stepped out of the tub. As the water gurgled down the drain, the vulpine grabbed blue towel off the hook on the wall and started to dry off. Within a few moments, Nick stepped out of the bathroom, the towel still wrapped around his waist as he walked towards his closet. With one motion, the mirror clad sliding door opened, revealing different articles of clothes- from V-neck shirts to buttoned-down suit jackets.

_Go big or go home_, the fox shrugged. He selected black slacks, a light blue buttoned down shirt, black suit jacket and a dark, navy blue tie to wrap up the ensemble. As he slid the tie around his neck, his phone rang on his bed.

As the vulpine moved around to the bed, a picture on the nightstand caught his eye. It consisted of three animals standing in the headquarters of the ZPD. Nick smiling proudly as he held a mean looking wolf in front of him who was glaring at the camera. Judy stood slightly in front of the fox, her thumb raised proudly as she gave a small smile. In the corner of the picture, Judy had written, "Nick's first arrest! Proud of you!" As the vulpine gazed at the picture, his heart raced at the sight of the bunny, the noise of the ringtone becoming quieter as the memory tugged at him.

/

_Zootopia – Two Years Ago_

The red car screeched to a halt on the side of the road, sirens blaring behind it. Judy jumped out from the driver seat of the ZPD police car and strode resolutely towards her target, Nick in tow.

"Sir. Do you have any idea how fast you were driving?" she demanded.

The window to the red car slowly rolled down and a face became visible. Judy's mouth fell wide open as Nick gave a hysterical laugh. "Flash, Flash, hundred-yard dash? Is that really you?" he asked with disbelief creeping in his voice.

The surprise look on the sloth slowly twisted into a smile. "Niiiiiiiick!" Flash spoke sluggishly.

Judy gave an audible groan. With the slow characteristics of sloths, she knew that the giving of the ticket would take hours. She looked over at her partner and noticed a small smile creeping on his face. Remembering the event at the DMV, Judy growled warningly, "Don't you dare!"

Nick gave her his signature lazy eyes and raised his paws, "What do you mean? I wouldn't dream of impeding our duty as a ZPD police officer"

"Uh huh." Judy nodded as she turned her attention back to the sloth. "You were going a hundred-fifteen miles per hour, in a city. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Flash moved his eyes at speeds befitting a sloth, "I needed to go to the-"

His explanation was cut off by a garble of the radio coming from the police car. Nick looked at Judy and with a tilt of her head, hurried back to the vehicle. Grabbing the radio, the fox spoke, "ZPD car #14, go for Wilde."

The familiar voice of Clawhauser crackled through the radio, "A Myrtle's store on Tenth and Broadway has been robbed. Witness has described a grey wolf fleeing the scene with a black duffle bag in a blue Zyndart. You're the closest to the scene!"

Nick nodded to himself, "Ten-four. Show Wilde and Hopps en-route"

"Godspeed!" the radio went silent.

Nick placed the radio back to its stand and leaned out of the window. "Carrots! We need to go!"

Judy looked back at her partner with shock, gesturing towards the sloth "But…"

"We have a two-eleven! Suspect is fleeing the scene!"

Nick smiled as he saw her purple eyes grow big with excitement. She turned back to the sloth and yelled, "Consider this a warning! Don't let me catch you speeding again!" The bunny raced towards the car, aiming for the passenger side where Nick was. "You're driving!"

Nick smiled with victory. He flipped his aviator sunglasses off his head and onto his face as he slid over into the driver seat. Immediately, his knees scrunched up, forgetting that Judy had sat in the seat before. Groaning with pain, the vulpine searched for the seat adjustor and upon finding it, pushed it back. He gasped a grateful breath as Judy climbed in giggling, "I'm so sorry."

The vulpine gave his partner a wary smile. "Now we ride," and pressed on the gas. The police car sped out of its position and into the heart of Zootopia. Both the vulpine and bunny found the wolf within an hour after Nick accidentally stumbled on his tail as he was hiding among the darkness of an alley.

The wolf had howled with pain and the fox responded swiftly. He aimed his Tazer gun at the suspect and bade the criminal to come forward. With little dignity and pain in his tail, the wolf had obeyed, revealing the black duffle bag full of cash and other small trinkets.

Judy couldn't keep herself ordered as she giggled hysterically, since she watched her partner step on what he thought was a stick. "Nice arrest, Nick!" she laughed.

When the duo brought the wolf back to headquarters, Clawhauser looked up from his desk pleased. "As it is custom for the ZPD, I want to take your picture." Once it was snapped, Nick immediately took the wolf for processing as Judy watched her partner with pride.

….

_Zootopia – Nick's Apartment_

The continuous ring from the phone snapped Nick back to reality. The fox immediately grabbed the cellphone and pressed answer, already knowing who it was. "What do you want?"

"Wow, Nick. Hello to you too!"

Nick smiled, "I'd thought you'd be sick of talking to me for today, considering we just got off work."

Judy laughed softly, "I…. I just wanted to know what you would be wearing tonight."

The vulpine was shocked at the statement, his mind and heart racing. "I…" he stammered.

"Spit it out Nick."

The fox gathered himself and nodded. He described his outfit to Judy and held his breath. "Wow, Nick! Going nice today? Okay… that helps me a lot. Thank you."

"Judy, I…" Nick started, but realized he was talking to himself as the familiar _click_ echoed through his ears. He silently berated himself for not being quick enough as he wanted to tell her how much he was looking forward to the dinner. He groaned and fell back on the bed, hoping the covers would swallow him whole.

The hour until he would leave his apartment to pick up Judy ticked slowly. To attempt to speed up the time, Nick had turned on his TV – a 55 inch flat screen that he splurged on with his second paycheck from working for the ZPD. Once Judy found out about Nick's impulse buy, she immediately called him and yelled at the fox for being fiscally irresponsible. At Judy's insistence, Nick gave in and budgeted his salary to pay for rent, food, utilities and other necessities while the rest of his money went into savings.

As the news reporter droned, Nick kept looking at the time, hoping it would speed faster, as he fidgeted nervously. Once the time hit 7:30 P.M, Nick immediately jumped up, grabbed his suit jacket and hurriedly put it on. He turned off the TV and seized his cellphone, putting it in his pocket. Before leaving the door, the vulpine grabbed his police-issued Tazer gun and placed it in front of his pants, making sure his shirt concealed it. Even though he was off duty, the Zootopia officers were allowed to carry a Taser gun into the public and act only when needed. He looked in his suit jacket and made sure that his ZPD badge was sitting within it and sighed with relief. As the vulpine walked towards the door, he passed a mirror and stepped back, groaning as he fixed the fur on his head.

Finally, Nick sped out of his room, excitement clutching his heart as he looked forward to seeing his friend and hopefully romantic partner. He was very hesitant to share his feelings for her as the ZPD allowed, but highly discouraged inner-office romance. The vulpine did well for a while, but eventually, his feelings for Judy had caught up and now the fox, realizing that he wasn't getting any younger, wanted to settle down and start a family.

The idea had startled him at the beginning, but the more he thought about it, the more he enjoyed the prospect. But what grew him to like the idea of having a family, was having one with Judy. He knew that Judy would make a wonderful mom, but the Zootopian society looked down upon cross-species dating, especially between predator and prey.

Nick pushed the thought out of his mind as he went down to the apartment garage. Climbing in his four seater Mustang that Finnick had sold him for cheap several years ago, Nick texted Judy, "On my way."

As soon as the fox tossed his phone on the passenger seat, it buzzed, revealing a glow and Judy's response, "Okay. See you soon!"

Nick smiled at the response, and looked back. Making sure everything was clear, the vulpine backed out of the garage, turned left onto the small driveway and straightened himself out. He turned onto the street and headed towards Judy's apartment.

As he drove, Nick's mind raced, trying to figure how he was going to bring up the subject with his partner. "Judy, I wanted to bring you here to talk about…" he muttered to himself and immediately stopped. As soon as he hit a red light, the fox gently hit his head on the steering wheel, _Idiot… Idiot… this is not a meeting. This is just a dinner with a friend…. A friend you really like…_

The horn behind him blared loudly as the light turned green. Nick looked up and muttered a curse under his breath. He pressed on the gas and the car moved away, leaving his anxious thoughts behind.

Once Nick put his car into park in front of Judy's apartment and prepared to get out, the passenger door opened immediately, causing the cop to grip his gun. Once he saw who it was, he gave a huge smile and moved his hand away from his gun as Judy climbed in.

At the sight of Judy, Nick's heart raced and he immediately started to sweat. Suddenly, his throat clogged, causing him to be unable to find his words. She was wearing a dark purple dress with spaghetti straps. The dress itself had small openings on the side, in which her legs snaked through. Around her neck was a small, golden necklace with a small ruby in the middle that she had bought for herself for her ZPD anniversary. As the vulpine looked at the bunny, Nick smiled to himself, knowing that she chose the dress because of convenience. When they both worked undercover in the past at fancy gatherings, Judy would hide her back up gun on a leg holster on her right leg and her knife on her left. As his eyes moved down towards her legs, Judy's voice cut through his thoughts, "Eyes up here slick."

Nick immediately obeyed and brought his eyes to meet her violet eyes. Judy smiled softly, laughing inwardly at Nick's behavior. An awkward silence passed between the animals. Judy, having enough of the pause spoke, "You look nice, Nick."

"I… um…gah…" Nick stammered. Suddenly the tie that he was wearing felt like it was choking him. Judy's laugh cut through his embarrassment and the vulpine cleared his throat while waving his hand indifferently "Oh this old thing? I wear this to funerals." Nick moved his head away from Judy and stared outside at the busy street, making a face for the idiotic statement. _What was that, Wilde?_

Judy's giggle brought his attention back. "What I mean to say was….Thank you, Carrots," Nick threw in his nick name for her, hoping that it would clear the air and make things return to normal. "You don't look too bad yourself."

Judy smiled and leaned back, throwing her feet on the dashboard. "You're joking right? I'm gorgeous! Even my parents couldn't believe this!"

Feeling the anxiety return, Nick cleared his throat once again and started the car, while swiping towards the bunny. "Paws off the dash! This is a five-star automobile."

Judy stuck her tongue out at the vulpine. "You're no fun! Besides, didn't it break down on the first day Finnick sold it to you?"

"The first day, but it hasn't since!"

"And what is that smell?" Judy paused as she sniffed, "Is that cheese?"

Nick nodded. "I think there may be some pizza in the back seat." He groaned inwardly as he drove away. _What a great start Wilde!_

Judy looked behind her and saw that he was telling the truth. She shrugged nonchalantly and focused on the road. After living with 275 brothers and sisters in Bunny Burrow, she was used to the mess that came with it. Pizza was the least of her worries.

They both drove in silent to Zassy Zebra, a popular restaurant in the heart of Zootopia, known for bringing cuisine from every district. Once Nick pulled into the restaurant's parking lot and turned off the car, the vulpine immediately got out and sped around to the passenger side, opening the door for Judy. She smiled and offered a paw. Once the vulpine grasped it, Judy climbed out of the car, only to find herself falling. Immediately, she felt her body spin around into a dip, as Nick grabbed her back with his left paw, his right one still grasped around hers.

Judy's face reddened. "Nice going slick," she spoke, as she stood up, smoothing her dress.

Nick gave his winning smile, not disclosing to her the fact that he had accidentally stepped on her dress when she came out of the car, and decided to roll with it. "Anything for you, my lady."

Judy's smile changed to be one of concern. "Are you feeling okay, Nick?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know… you're nice, but not this nice!"

Nick shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You're finally noticing, Carrots? I'm always nice!"

"Says the guy who took me into the naturalist club."

Nick chuckled at the memory. "Hey. At least you got a free show out of it."

Judy growled playfully, "I didn't need it!"

The two friends laughed and conversed about the Night Howler case as they walked towards the restaurant. Both reveled in memories of tricking the former mayor Bellwether into confessing her sinister plans and how they escaped the Cliffside hospital by going down the toilet.

"Those were the days," Judy sighed. "I'm happy that happened. If it wasn't for it, you'd wouldn't be my partner."

Nick smiled and opened the door to the restaurant. "I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."

That sentence shocked him. He had never seen himself in the ZPD as he was making money from hustling other animals. But once he joined the force and became Judy's partner, Nick started to notice that the bunny's qualities were starting to rub off of him. But every now and then, Nick would play pranks on his partner, reminding her that one could never beat a sly fox. The vulpine pushed his thoughts out and focused on the present as he followed the bunny.

Judy had already walked to the hostess and spoke, "I would like a table for two please."

The hostess, a female cheetah nodded, entering in the information. "That would be around a thirty minute wait. Name please?"

Forgetting that she used a fake name for anonymity, the bunny spoke, "Judy Hopps."

The cheetah stopped what she was doing and looked up at the bunny, her mouth opened with disbelief. "Judy Hopps? _The Judy Hopps?_" her voice became higher with excitement.

_Uh oh,_ Nick thought to himself, as he stepped forward, ready to ask the hostess to keep her voice down. Even though it had been several years since the Night Howler case, Judy was still a celebrity in the town. But when he strode forward, the cheetah immediately changed her demeanor, lowering her voice. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Hopps. But since you're here, I can get you a table right now."

Judy smiled, raising her paw. "It's 'Ms,' actually. I'm not married yet. Don't think I will."

Nick's heart sank at the statement, but remained attentive to the conversation. "Besides, you don't have to. Nick and I are willing to wait," the bunny finished.

"I insist." The hostess responded. "Let me show you to your table."

Judy looked back at Nick and was only given a shrug. She nodded slowly and turned around to the hostess. "Lead the way."

The cheetah led the two to the back of the restaurant. As they walked, Nick noticed that the conversations of the patrons became quieter and quieter as the two moved further away. The hostess sat the two at the table and ignited a candle in the middle.

Not noticing the movement, Nick's analytical mind raced as he looked around the room. _Two doors at the entrance, one door to my left, leading to the kitchen. One emergency exit behind me. The bar is on the right side of the room. _

As the hostess left the table, Judy looked at Nick and smiled. She knew that he couldn't break his habit, and found that it was cute how Nick's mind worked. The vulpine finally turned his attention to her and spoke, "Well, I'm hungry."

The two animals looked down at the menu, attempting to decide what to order. As food options raced through his head, Nick looked up and gazed around the restaurant once more. He saw the hostess talk to the waitress with a low voice, pointing at them. _Probably telling her to treat us nicely she knows it's Judy…_ He shook his head and looked around even more. He saw the bartender, an elephant, cleaning a cup quickly avert his eyes as he saw the fox looking back. Nick smiled softly and moved back to the center of the restaurant.

Patrons were chatting loudly and laughing. Small background music wafted through the dimly lit room. Aromas of the food wafted from the animals and filled Nick's nostrils, causing his stomach to rumble. But what caught his eye was a lion, in a business suit, talking on the phone, staring directly at him. As Nick looked back, the lion immediately looked away, not ceasing to talk.

_That was weird,_ he thought. When Judy's voice cut through his head, Nick quickly looked at her. She was talking to the waitress, placing in her order. Once she was finished, Judy looked back at the vulpine expectantly. "Oh! I'll have the…" Nick opened his menu again and found his plate. "Berry burger please."

The waitress nodded and wrote down the order on her pad and left. Judy crossed her legs and started look around. Feeling his heart race, Nick breathed heavily and started to speak.

"Hey Judy,"

"Nick, I-"

The words scrambled over each other and they both laughed. Nick apologized and motioned for her to go first. Judy shook her head, "I interrupted you. You should go first."

Nick smiled nervously and straightened his tie. "Judy. I just wanted to tell you that I am so happy that you've put up with me for these few years on the police force…"

Judy smiled disappeared, and was replaced with sadness, causing Nick to stop his train of thought. Immediately, the vulpine spoke "I'm not leaving or anything… I just…"

The bunny giggled nervously, "Oh good. I got scared for a minute. I thought that same exact thing!"

_Spit it out Wilde! Get it over with!_

"Judy… I just wanted to say…"

A gunshot was heard and the bullet whizzed over his head. Nick instinctively dove forward over the table and tackled Judy down to the ground. With a smooth movement, the vulpine kicked the table down on its side. The two cops immediately sat with their backs onto the table. "Nine!" Nick yelled over the noise.

Judy rolled her eyes, pulling her Taser gun out, "Really? You're going to bring this up now?"

"You know I am!"

Judy giggled at the vulpine's audacity. He smiled in return and checked his ears. After feeling that it was still intact, Nick breathed a sigh of relief. "I think we have something more to worry about than your ears!"

"Carrots! These ears are all I've got!"

Judy smiled and winked, "Don't sell yourself short."

She looked over the table and saw that four masked animals walked inside the room. All the patrons were in the center of the restaurant, quaking with fear. The leader of the group strode towards a customer and grabbed him. Judy gasped with shock as she realized that it was a young zebra. Placing a gun on his head, the animal yelled, "I hear Judy Hopps is among us in this building. Come out rabbit or this kid gets it!"

Anger gripped Nick's heart as he heard the demand. "Cowards!" he muttered to himself. "I'm not going to let them get you Judy."

Judy placed a restraining paw on his arm. "We have no choice."

Nick thought for a minute, formulating a plan. A lightbulb struck off and he spoke in excited whispers, "You go out and keep them distracted. I'm going to go through the back door and around the restaurant. I'll take them down from behind.

Judy looked at the door, at Nick then back at the hostage. At first, she wanted to protest, but thought better. Once Nick made a plan and made up his mind, there was no stopping him. Besides, he was the best shot on the ZPD, even better than her. She knew that if anyone could pull of the plan, it was him.

After getting a quick nod of consent from the bunny, Nick started to leave. As he moved, a paw immediately grabbed his tail, causing him to yip softly with pain. "What?"

"I'm so sorry Nick. I… I just needed to tell you something."

"This can wait!"

"But it can't! There's no time!"

"What do you mean?"

The criminal cut through their conversation, "I'm going to count down from five! Judy Hopps! Show yourself!"

Nick shook his head. "I'm going, right now." The fox grabbed his tail out of the bunny's paw and silently sneaked to the back of the restaurant.

"Four!" the masked animal bellowed.

Judy sighed as she watched her partner leave the building. She checked the notch on her Taser gun and was greeted with a number 8 in green, revealing how many stuns she had.

"Three!"

Judy stood up with her gun in the air and turned around, facing the animal. "Detective Judy Hopps of the ZPD!"

/

Her voice carried through the restaurant and reached Nick's ears. He had ran through the alleyway and was now looking around the corner and into the window. Three animals had their guns trained on her with the leader on the zebra. _Come on Judy, get the hostage out_.

"You got me!" Judy called out. "Now let the kid go!"

_That does it…_

The leader laughed evilly and tossed the kid aside. He raised his gun up. At the moment the zebra was reunited with his mother, Nick started to make his move. However, as soon as he turned the corner, a small dart flew out of the darkness and entered the vulpine's neck. His eyes rolled back and everything went black.

/

_Nick… where are you?_

"I'll say it again! Let the kid go!"

"Put down your gun, and I'll let him go!"

Judy looked at the tear stained face of the young zebra. "Do it!" the leader bellowed.

The cop nodded. "Okay… you're in control. I'm putting the gun down." The bunny slowly placed her Taser gun down on the ground and keeping her paws up, spoke, "I did what you ask. Now let him go."

The leader chuckled evilly and threw the zebra aside. As soon as the child was reunited with his mother, Judy looked at the gun. Once she did, the leader yelled, "Don't think about it!"

_Nick… where are you?_

"Everything is okay." Judy spoke with a calm voice. "You're in control." She took a small step forward.

A gunshot was heard again, and everything happened in slow motion. She saw the muzzle flash and the pistol kick. The bullet sailed through the air and slammed into her small body, below the rib, knocking the wind out of her. She fell backwards and hit the ground with a small thud. Her breaths became ragged as she immediately placed her hand over her wound.

"Nick?" she said softly.

The warm blood seeped between her fingers and poured on the ground below her. She slowly raised her head and saw that the four animals had fled.

_Nick…If only you know how I feel…_

The world before became dim and hazy. As she bled, worried onlookers surrounded her, all calling 911. Looking up at the faces before her, she smiled as she found a familiar one.

/

Nick groaned and rubbed his neck, feeling the small dart fall out. He looked behind him into the alleyway and slowly picked up the item that felled him. The fox immediately placed it into his pocket and looked around. _What am I doing here? JUDY!_

The vulpine ran around the corner and saw a group of animals in a circle. The fox pushed his way through, holding a badge up and yelling "ZPD! Make way! Make way!"

Slowly, the crowd opened before him. As it did, Nick caught his breath as his worst nightmare had come true. Judy was fighting for her life in a pool of blood. The fox rushed forward and moved her paw away and covered her wound with his own. "I'm so sorry, Judy… I'm so sorry."

The bunny gave him a weak smile. "It's okay, Nick."

Tears started to flow down the vulpine's face. "I left you!"

"Nick… everything will be fine. You will be fine."

"Judy…" Nick choked with tears.

"Is the kid okay?"

Nick looked back and saw the zebra hugging his mother. He nodded quickly. "He's fine."

Judy sighed a painful sigh of relief. "That's what matters. I'm here to protect and serve."

"I'll get you to a hospital!"

"It's too late, Nick…. I wish I," Judy coughed.

"Shh." Nick soothed, "Don't talk."

The cop shook her head. "I… I wish I had more time." She raised a paw to his cheek. "Do you trust me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I said… do you trust me?"

"You know I do! You've saved my life and helped me!"

"Then trust me when I say that everything will be fine." Her voice became softer and slower. Her eyes slowly drooped shut.

"No! Judy! Stay awake!" Nick begged. Sirens were heard in the background as ambulances and the rest of the ZPD reached the scene.

"You are strong and you will make it. You're the best officer I have seen. But..." she coughed again.

"But what? Please!"

"Don't go back… don't go back."

The heart-stricken vulpine poured out all of his emotions that he bottled up into one name as he felt her paw become limp.

"JUDY!"


	2. Chapter 1: The Snow

Chapter One: The Snow

_Zootopia Police Department – Several Months Later…_

Benjamin Clawhauser looked up from his desk, an instinct telling him to chase after his desire. His eyes moved to where a box of doughnuts sat to his right. He reached for a chocolate bar and with one smooth movement, popped it in his mouth, moaning at the sweet delicacy. Licking his fingers, the cheetah did not notice a movement in front of him. As Clawhauser swiveled in his chair, a sixth sense told the cheetah that an animal was standing patiently, waiting for their turn.

Immediately, Clawhauser spun around and gave the stranger his biggest smile. "Welcome to Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One! How can I help you?"

The stranger, an artic fox, looked at the jovial cheetah from over her sunglasses that was perched on her nose. She groaned inwardly, _another animal who doesn't take their job seriously._

She opened her black suit jacket, revealing a ZPD badge, and announced "Jennifer Snow, reporting for duty. This is my first day at the job. I was transferred here."

Clawhauser's squealed with excitement, placing his paws on his enormous cheeks and pushing it. "Hello Miss Snow. The name's Clawhauser! Welcome to the ZPD! We're excited to have you here."

Snow merely nodded her head, while closing the side of her jacket. "Uh huh. Where's roll call? I was supposed to meet my new partner there right?"

Clawhauser beamed as he jutted his thumb back to the door. "Roll call is that way…" The artic fox nodded her head with thanks and started to walk away, stopping when the obese cheetah called after her. "Do you know who your new partner is?"

Snow turned around and took off her sunglasses. She put it into a pocket and responded, "Officer Nicholas Wilde."

The smile disappeared from the cheetah within a flash. "Then I wish you luck, young lady."

The statement took Snow by surprise. She walked back to the desk. "What do you mean?"

"It's not my place to say. But… Nick Wilde has become…." Clawhauser struggled to think of a nice way to explain the fox. "… Difficult to work with and be around."

The vixen's curiosity piqued. "How so?"

"Let's just say that every partner who has been assigned to Wilde has always left their job within a few days."

Snow beamed. She liked a challenge. "I think he will find it hard to be rid of me."

Clawhauser slowly looked over the ambitious vixen. She stood smartly and at attention before him, one of her paws in a pocket of her jacket, while the other paw loosely hovering over her holster. She wore a dark red buttoned down shirt, with black slacks and a black suit jacket. Her left ear had a single earring. Her light blue eyes pierced the cheetah with such intensity that the desk Sergeant thought she was staring through his soul. Finally, the obese cheetah sighed, "If, after you meet Wilde, do insist on staying, might I give you a piece of advice?"

Snow nodded. Despite her judgment towards the cheetah at the beginning of their meeting, she was slowly starting to like him. The artic fox could tell that Clawhauser cared deeply for this specific officer. "Don't try to change him. He's too far gone now."

The young officer was confused. Clawhauser turned his attention back to the doughnuts on his desk and offered no further explanation. Jennifer Snow turned around and headed into roll call, wondering what she had gotten herself into.

/

_Zootopia – Nick's Trailer_

The alarm buzzed, causing the small desk next to the couch to vibrate. A paw, in a form of a fist, smashed against the clock, causing it to fly off the table and land on the floor, where it continued to buzz.

Nick groaned, and rolled over on the couch, pulling the blanket over his head, praying that the alarm would stop buzzing and leave him in peace. One minute later, his wish was finally granted as silence reigned through his trailer. Nick's eyes drooped heavily as the warmth of the blanket threatened to pull him back into slumber.

An image of Judy appeared in his mind, staring with disapproval. He could hear her in his mind as she spoke, _Get up, Nick. Go to work!_

_But I don't want to._

_We are here to protect and serve. I protected and served. Will you?_

_Not without you Carrots._

_GET UP!_

The imaginary line screamed through his mind, jolting the vulpine back awake. Nick groaned again and rolled to his back, rubbing his eyes as sunlight streamed through the slits of his window into the trailer. The fox sat up and moved into a sitting position on the couch as he smacked his lips, his tongue snaking through his dry mouth, moisturizing every crevice.

The messy room of his trailer stared back at him. On the back end of the trailer was the couch, where he slept, with a small desk sitting next to it. Across from the desk was the door to the outside. Next to the trailer's door was a dark green counter that went along the wall, stopping just before the closet. In the middle of the counter, was a small sink, its faucet dripping slowly. Nick had meant to fix the faucet, but never got around to it. Across from the counter, a dirty little mini-fridge occupied the space and above the fridge were cabinets, full of plates, cups and silverware. Beyond the fridge was a grey card table, occupied with one folding chair. Next to the table was a door, which led to his bathroom, with one toilet, a tiny shower and a small sink and counter.

The vulpine stood up from the couch and slowly walked across the indistinguishable colored carpet, which had lost its fuzz years ago. He stumbled over a discarded pizza box and bit back a curse as his toe smashed against the wall of the trailer. Nick slowly walked towards the closet and looked at the mirror, his reflection staring back at him.

The few months had not been good for him and it showed. A few days after Judy's death, Nick struggled with his will to live. Three times he had walked to the Rainforest District, climbed in the gondola and searched for the courage to throw himself off. Three times, Judy appeared in his mind, frowning with sadness and shaking her head. Three times, Nick got off the gondola and realized what he needed to do. But as the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, Nick threw himself into work as bags underneath his eyes showed, proving that the fox experienced lack of sleep. His once bright colored fur started to lose its glow and lusciousness. Every morning, Nick got ready for work and every night, the fox searched for any trace of Judy's murderers. But as Nick stood staring at his reflection, he was struck with a realization that hit him every single morning: he didn't care about what he looked. The only thing he cared about was revenge.

Revenge for Judy's death.

Revenge for losing everything that he once held dear.

Nick shook his head again and opened his closet. The empty space greeted him and the fox groaned to himself. He had forgotten to do the laundry, again. Instead, a map of Zootopia welcomed the officer. On the map, Nick had inserted push pins, with one showing Zassy Zebra, and he had taped "Judy's Death" next to it.

On the side of the map, were pictures that Nick had gathered from witnesses who saw the criminals flee the restaurant. So far, the hunt for the four criminals had yielded no result, leaving Nick in a worst state of agitation and frustration. When he realized that he couldn't find the trail, the crafty fox decided on another approach. He recalled three animals that knew both he and Judy were at the scene: the hostess, bartender and the lion. So far, the vulpine had struck out with the hostess and the bartender, as they had no criminal background or relations to the underworld.

But what caused Nick further frustration was the lion. The past few months left Nick in a constant state of anger and sadness because he couldn't find his suspect. However, the fox found small pleasure over the fact that, because the lion disappeared, Nick was on the right trail.

_Find the lion, find the rest._

That thought was drummed into his head for many nights. But every time he checked out of work, the vulpine threw himself into searching for the animal, with no success. With each failure, Nick became more and more frustrated. As the frustration mounted up, he did the only logical thing to do: turn to the drink. With each alcoholic beverage consumed, Nick started to realize something: he didn't care if he lived or died.

By living, Nick figured, he would be making Judy proud. He would go into work and do what she loved the most, protecting and serving. But if he died, then all was well. He would be reunited with his best friend. So Nick accepted the most dangerous cases, from robberies to terrorism, the fox hoped that he would be placed in a situation where it would not end well for him. At least, if and when he did die, he would die knowing that he made Judy proud, protecting the community of Zootopia.

The vulpine closed the closet door and turned around to where a pile of clothes littered the trailer. He bent down and spent a few minutes sniffing and deciding which shirt was clean or not. Finally deciding on a green button down shirt and purple tie, Nick stepped into the bathroom and turned on the water for the shower, not realizing that it was the same outfit he had worn when he met Judy.

As Nick waited for the shower to warm, the fox left the bathroom and opened the mini-fridge. Inside, a left over slice of pizza on a paper plate and six bottles of _Mighty Mouz_ beer greeted him. Nick grabbed a bottle and in one smooth movement, popped it open with his arm and guzzled it down. Once the beer was emptied, the fox threw it back, hearing it clang as it hit the ground and roll towards the couch.

The fox finally stepped into the shower and just stood there. His fur slowly turned from grey to orange, as dirt and dust escaped. But as soon as he stepped in, Nick immediately left, not bothering to wash himself. He threw his clothes on and before leaving the bathroom, smelled his armpits.

_Whew, Wilde!_

The fox sprayed some cologne to mask his scent and before exiting the trailer, grabbed his aviators and the keys to his beloved Mustang. As Nick stepped outside, the warmth of the sun greeted him, and the vulpine groaned. The trailer where he lived sat in an empty canal, and although in the heart of Zootopia, Nick was still left alone. Traffic roared around him as the fox locked the door behind him. He turned around and walked towards his Mustang, which was parked underneath a bridge nearby, staying cool in the shade that it provided. Even though Nick moved out of his apartment and sold the majority of his possessions, he couldn't bring himself to sell the car. The car reminded him too much of Judy and the fox wanted to keep one memory of her alive.

As he climbed in, his shirt half tucked into his jeans, his cell phone rang.

"Go for Wilde."

"This is Clawhauser. We have a robbery in progress at the Zootopia Center Bank. Multiple hostages!"

Nick smiled with excitement. He reached in his glove box and pulled out his favorite gun, Smith and Yakinson M&P 9, made sure it was loaded and placed it on the passenger seat. Ever since Judy's death, the ZPD changed their approach to firearms. Deciding that Taser guns were difficult and ineffective in taking down dangerous criminals, the Mayor of Zootopia passed a law in which police was allowed to carry real guns. _Maybe this is my day after all_.

"Show Wilde en-route!"

/

_Zootopia Police Department_

Jennifer Snow opened the door to roll call room and was greeted to chaos. Animals of all sizes and species laughed and chattered into the room. Snow straightened her jacket and strode forward, making her way through the pathway between the tables, searching for a place to sit. She was greeted with an empty chair at the first table in the front of the room where a huge rhinoceros sat next to. Snow plopped down gratefully, searching for the fox called Nicholas Wilde. Once she did, silence reigned the room, as all eyes were trained on her.

The arctic fox, knowing that every officer in the room was staring at her, fidgeted in her chair nervously. Finally, she cleared her voice and spoke, "Hello and good morning every one!"

The rhinoceros next to her gave a small growl as he clenched his fist. "Get off the chair."

Snow was taken aback by the demand. Undeterred, she folded her arms and stared back at the animal that was four times her weight. "Why?"

That only made the rhino even madder. He slowly stood up from his chair and speaking slowly, his deep voice rumbling across the room, "Get… off… the… chair."

The artic fox slowly stood up on the ginormous chair, her piercing blue eyes full of determination. "Make me."

The rhino growled and started to advance towards the new cop. Suddenly, he was stopped in his tracks as a different voice was overheard, "Officer McHorn! Back to your post!"

Snow looked besides her and saw that a huge buffalo was standing in the room. As he walked towards the podium, all eyes averted away from her and was upon him. McHorn obeyed and sat back down onto his own, though his eyes warned Snow, _This is not over_

_ I wouldn't think so_, Snow responded.

Chief Bogo plopped his folder onto the podium and opening his glasses, the Chief of the ZPD spoke, "My apologies for being late. Now on the agenda, I have to introduce a new transfer."

All eyes were trained on the artic fox as Bogo continued, "Officer Jennifer Snow, a ten year transfer from precinct twelve." The buffalo paused as he looked at his folder, "Known for her exceptional marksmanship, organization and her follow-the-book personality, Snow has come here with the highest recommendation possible. Please make her feel welcomed here."

After Bogo finished the introduction, he continued, "But Officer Snow, if you would leave that chair and find a different one, you would be helping everyone in the room."

"With all due respect…"

Bogo held up his hand. "Just do as I ask, Snow."

The artic fox slowly nodded and obeyed her boss. She jumped off the chair and moved back towards the room. Once she arrived to the back wall, she turned around and looked at Chief as he continued, "Now on our list, we have a kidnapping from the Rainforest District, a young monkey, was taken from his parents," the buffalo pointed at the picture. Snow turned her attention to the board and was welcomed by the smiling picture of the young monkey.

"Fey and Rizzoli. You're in charge of this case. You know the Rainforest District better than anyone here. Now, I want you to…"

Bogo was interrupted as Clawhauser's panicky voice screeched through the intercom. "Robbery at Zootopia Center Bank. Multiple hostages! I repeat, multiple hostages!"

The buffalo swore softly and yelled, "Everyone except for Fey and Rizzoli, go to the bank! Move now!"

All the animals obeyed his order. Jennifer Snow was pushed aside as the rush for the door began. Within a few seconds, she was alone. As the artic fox turned to leave, Chief Bogo's voice called out behind her, "I saw how you handled yourself against McHorn…" he paused and folded his glasses, "This is the kind of grit I need in the ZPD, and for Wilde."

Snow looked back and spoke a single question, "Where's he?"

Bogo only smiled, "If I had to guess, he is already there…"

The new officer turned to leave but was stopped by Bogo once again as he called, "A word of advice? If you want respect around here, take action."

Snow silently nodded, registering his advice in her mind, turned around and left the room.

/

_Zootopia- Zootopia Center Bank_

As Jennifer Snow pulled up to the bank, she was welcomed by two police helicopters and the blaring of the sirens. Barricades were already established, as officers stood behind their cars, with their weapons drawn at the bank. Behind the officers, a giant truck sat, marked ZSF.

Snow groaned. She hated the Special Forces. When she worked for precinct twelve, she was put in a lot of situations where the Zootopia Special Forces were involved. This caused friction between her and the leader, Commander Turner, as both animals fought for jurisdiction over certain cases.

The artic fox stopped her car and got out. Instead of hurrying towards the barricades to help her fellow officers, she observed the scene. She was horrified with what she found. The barricades were too close to the bank and she knew that if the officers were close, the more agitated the hostage-takers would become.

Snow ran forward, waving her arms and yelling, "Back up, you idiots! Back up! You're too close!"

All the ZPD officers looked at her with surprise and one called back, "It was already set up like this when we got here."

"Do you want to get shot? Do you want someone to die in there? We're too close! They will off somebody in there once this group grows!"

The officers looked at each other with surprise and one of them, a leopard nodded. He spun around and ordered the barricades to be placed back further. At his word, the ZPD gathered every barricade and moved their cars back several feet away from the bank. It was done smoothly and efficiently that even Snow was impressed.

The artic fox shook her head and turned around, heading for the ZSF truck. She prayed silently to herself that Turner wasn't present. Because Snow was the most experienced officer of the ZPD precinct one, she felt obligated to work with the Special Forces. The fox arrived at the door and with a knock, the door opened, revealing a huge gorilla.

"Jennifer Snow."

"Commander Turner."

The gorilla snarled softly but stood aside. She went inside and once she did, the door slammed shut behind her. "What's the situation?"  
"We have snipers perched on the building next to the bank. Thermal scanners also show that they are establishing explosive devices around the building to deny any breaches. It seems like it's also on a timer."

Snow whistled to herself in surprise, "Is everyone in position?"

Turner growled. "I know how to do my job, Snow."

Jennifer raised her hands in surrender. "If you knew how, you'd know not to set the barricades on the front step!"

Turner clenched his hand into a fist and growled louder. But before he did anything, Snow asked, "What's the plan?"

The gorilla responded, "All they wanted is a chopper. They're threatening to blow the building also, if their demands are not met."

The artic fox thought to herself, a small plan formulating in her mind. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement through the TV that was mounted on the desk. She turned and saw an orange fox, with a green shirt and purple tie, holding three boxes of pizza, jumped over the barricades and strode confidently towards the building.

"What is he doing?" she demanded.

Turner growled angrily, "I don't know."

Jennifer Snow jumped out of the truck and ran towards the barricade. "Stop him!" She yelled.

All the officers looked at her with confusion. As the orange fox disappeared into the building, Snow groaned angrily to herself. "How could you let a civilian enter the bank?"

"He's not a civilian." A voice was heard.

"Who's that then?" She demanded.

"That's Wilde."

Snow turned immediately to the voice, shock evident on her face. "Nicholas Wilde?"

/

_Inside the Zootopia Center Bank_

Nick Wilde chuckled softly to himself as he walked through the doors into the large room. Marble pillars lined with explosives served as a pathway to the tellers counter and where the hostages were located. As Nick sauntered towards the counter, he counted four masked gunmen and noticed one of them was establishing a small explosive on the vault, ready to blow.

"Hello bad guys!"

The robbers turned around with surprise, as they saw the orange fox stride forward with confident. "I didn't know what everyone wanted, so I brought an assortment. We've got pepperoni…"

The leader stepped forward and knocked the pizza boxes to the ground and yelled, "We didn't want pizza. We wanted a chopper!"

Nick laughed. "That's going to be hard. This bank is in the center of Zootopia, so… there's not a lot of places to set it down."

"Do you think this is funny? You do anything stupid, we all blow!"

"Not at all, sir. Not at all." Nick responded. "But the guys outside, they'll never take you seriously. No…. you need to do something big. Something to capture their attention."

"Like what?"

Nick shrugged. "You've gotta off somebody."

The hostages all gave a sound of shock, and some started to cry. "But," Nick continued, "You can't just off somebody. It's gonna have to be somebody important." The fox looked around at the hostages, "Are any of y'all important?"

The leader snarled, "What if I off you instead?"

Nick gave a small smile. "Oh…. What an interesting prospect." He stepped forward to the robber and grabbed the gun, placing the barrel on his head. "I only have one request…. Don't miss."

The robber's facial expression changed momentarily, behind his mask. Immediately, he gathered his composure, his finger hovering dangerously close to the trigger.

Wilde smiled. "I'm gonna count down from three. Feel free to shoot me during the countdown."

"Three…"

"Two…."

/

_Outside the Zootopia Center Bank_

"I have heard enough!" Snow demanded as she listened in onto Nick's wire. When she found out that he had gone inside the building and was an officer, she knew that he had a plan. So after placing a call to Clawhauser, she found out the wave in which Nick's radio was transmitting. Snow then had Commander Turner tune his walkie to match the wave and once he figured it out, everyone in the ZSF truck could hear Nick's voice.

"You've gotta off somebody." The voice crackled through the radio.

At the sound, Snow gasped. She spun around and exited the truck. The officer ran to her own car and fitted a vest and got her pistol out of her holster. She hurried to the officers and spoke "I'm going in. Get ready to breach."

All the officers nodded, and forming in a V- formation, they followed Snow to the entrance of the building. As they started walking, gunshot noises was heard and all the officers stopped, training their pistols towards the door. Within a few seconds, the door opened, and screaming hostages ran out into the street and into the arms of the ZSF.

/

_Inside Zootopia Center Bank_

"Two…"

Nick closed his eyes, feeling the metallic barrel on his forehead, waiting for the sweet release of death.

"One…"

However, the gunman had his finger still over the trigger. When the fox hit the number "one," he opened his eyes and smiled. In a flash, he raised his pistol and shot the leader in the forehead, sending him backwards onto the ground. Immediately, he spun around and dispatched two more, as they were caught by surprise with the fox's speed.

With the last one, the bomber, Nick shot the animal in the knee, and he fell down, howling with pain. However, as he fell, he pressed the button. A beeping noise was heard and Nick turned around and saw that the bombs lining the pillar started counting down.

30….

29….

_Oh boy. _Nick thought. _This is not good._ Immediately he turned to the hostages and yelled, "Everyone, out!"

He kept an eye on the timer as all the animals, shouting with fear, exited the building. Once the last animal was out, Wilde took a look at the timer.

10…

The fox left the building, the sunlight blinding him. He was met by an artic fox in the lead with a pistol trained on him, and six other officers behind her. Wilde strode towards her, whistling with pleasure. Upon arriving at her side, he stuck his hand out. "You must be my new partner."

Snow holstered her pistol and nodded. She accepted his handshake. "Jennifer Snow."

"Nicholas Wilde…. I have a feeling we're going to have a good partnership.

The bank exploded.


	3. Chapter 2: A Wilde Ride

**A/N: Thank you all for reading the story! I just wanted to give you a heads up! If you are leaving a review as an anonymous "guest" then they are not showing up in the review section even though I am getting the emails. So, don't freak out because I can still read them. However, if you are verified and logged in, your reviews will be in the review section AND I am getting the emails. I have already notified fanfiction about this problem.**

Chapter Two: A Wilde Ride

_Zootopia – The Zootopia Police Department_

Jennifer Snow burst into the lobby of the ZPD, with her partner in tow. Seething with fury, the artic fox ignored Clawhauser's greeting and made a beeline up the stairs to Chief Bogo's office.

Watching her go, Clawhauser reached for another doughnut, his fourteenth of the day, and popped it in his mouth. Without chewing, the delicacy disappeared down his gullet as the obese cheetah turned his attention to the orange fox. "So, how's your new partner?"

The vulpine looked at the box of doughnuts next to the desk sergeant. Quickly selecting one, he grabbed a maple bar, evasively dodging Clawhauser's swipe. With his mouth full, and crumbs escaping his lips, Wilde spoke, "You've gotta slow down, Clawsie. These are bad for you."

Clawhauser chuckled. "You do that again, and no one will find your body."

Finishing the last bite of the bar and swallowing, Nick spoke "You wouldn't be able to lug my body you fat cat. There's more fat in you than muscle."

Clawhauser smiled at the banter, "Oh, you'd be surprised, Nick…. Now, don't change the subject. How's your new partner, the darling Jennifer Snow?"

Nick pulled a flask out of his pocket. Unscrewing the lid, he took a deep draft. "She's fine."

Clawhauser watched the action, worry evident on his face. "Nick… you went inside the bank by yourself, without telling anyone. You could have gotten killed!"

The orange vulpine took off his sunglasses. Putting it in his shirt pocket, he stared at the desk sergeant as he pondered his next words. Clawhauser felt uneasy under the intense emerald eyes of the fox. Before he could say a word, Nick finally spoke, "Protect and serve…. That's what Judy always said. The hostages were in danger, so I did what I thought was right and necessary."

Anger boiled inside Clawhauser and the obese cheetah stopped himself from yelling at the fox. After gaining a couple of seconds to calm himself down, he spoke, "But that doesn't mean you get to throw out every protocol and regulations that is in place. There is a reason why we have rules, Wilde! Rules are there to protect you _and _them!"

Nick was silent for a moment, and the next statement broke the obese cheetah's heart, "What if I don't want to be protected?"

With that sentence, the vulpine left the desk sergeant and followed his angry partner up the stairs to Bogo's office.

/

_Chief Bogo's Office_

"I refuse to work with him!" The artic vixen was pacing back and forth, as she retold the story of the Zootopia Center Bank crisis. "Nicholas is out of control. He has no care for his own safety and the safety of others!" Snow finally stopped walking, and placed her paws on Bogo's desk, "Please give me another partner," she asked with desperation creeping into her voice.

Chief Bogo sighed. He heard this speech many times before from Nick's previous partners. The huge buffalo took his glasses off and placed them on his desk. Gathering his thoughts, the Chief folded his paws and placed them on his desk. Finally, he spoke, "My apologies, Officer Snow. I didn't realize that this precinct was tailored to your needs."

"But Chief…"

"No buts, Officer. You are Nick's partner and that's final."

"If I had known that I would be placed with this… this… maniac, I would have not decided to transfer here!"

Bogo chuckled, and stood out of his chair, his giant figure towering over the smaller form of the vixen. His deep voice rumbled across the room, "Officer Snow. Your transfer here was not one of coincidence. I personally have asked for you to come here."

Snow was surprised, "Why?"

Bogo shrugged. "Last year, you had eighty arrests and a seventy-five percent clearance rate. You go by the book and follow the rules. We need more people like you in this precinct."

"You mean, you need someone to control Wilde."

"Yes."

"Chief… With all due respect, after what I saw at the bank, no one can control Nick. He could get himself killed one day."

"And that's why he needs you."

A silence was passed between both animals. Finally, Chief Bogo spoke, "I need you here for Wilde. Just several months ago, something tragic happened to him…. To all of us." Bogo sighed and continued, "To be poetic, Officer Snow, he's a lost fox, trying to find his way through the world…. If I recall correctly, your file says that you share the same pain?"

Snow was silent for several minutes, as her mind was escaped into memory. As the Chief watched, he observed her anger slowly seep into sadness. Finally, she shook her head, snapping back to the present and spoke, "Okay, Chief. I'll…. I'll do my best."

Bogo picked up his glasses again and perched it on his nose, "That's the spirit Snow. Now, I need you to…"

The buffalo was interrupted as Nick opened the door, without bothering to knock. He strode forward to the Chief of the Zootopian Police Department and spoke, "Fey and Rizzoli just called. Our kidnapping case from the Rainforest District…" he paused, reminding the Chief which case it was. After Bogo nodded, Nick continued, "There's a body.

"The kid?"

Nick shook his head. "One of the kidnappers, according to Rizzoli. They want my help."

"That was quick." Snow commented with surprise. Usually within the first day, there weren't any dead bodies. Maybe the young monkey was far more important that she realized.

Nick ignored her comment and kept his eyes on the Chief. "Well?"

"Hmm." Bogo thought for a second. He didn't want to use Nick when both Fey and Rizzoli were capable officers. _But if Rizzoli asked for his help, they must have hit a dead end._ Finally, he nodded, "Okay, Wilde. Go and see if you can help them out."

Nick gave a lazy salute, "Aye, aye, Chief!"

The vulpine spun around and started to walk out of the room. Before he left, the Chief called behind him, "Don't forget your partner."

Nick didn't answer and disappeared out of sight. Snow watched her partner leave, with disbelief on her face. _The disrespect…_

Bogo smiled as he read Snow's expression. "Good luck, Snow."

The artic vixen groaned, turned around and left the room, following her disparaging partner.

/

_Zootopia_

Jennifer Snow kept her eyes on the road as her partner reclined back in his seat next to her, his eyes shut. When she hit the stoplight to go through the tunnel into the Rainforest District, Snow quickly examined her sleeping partner. She was disgusted with what she found as his fur was unkempt, and one side of his shirt was tucked into his jeans. _Not to mention, he had the audacity to place his filthy feet on my dash._

After she had hit his leg, forcing the vulpine to move his feet, and wiping the dash down, Wilde had promptly gone to sleep.

_I can't believe I'm stuck with this animal_.

But still, Snow was very impressed with Wilde's actions at the bank earlier in the morning. Despite the fact that Nick didn't follow protocol, she was still glad that the hostages got out of the bank safely and in time.

_His methods may be mad… but at least he gets results…_ Snow shook her head at the thought. The bank was most likely a fluke. The next time Wilde would attempt something crazy like that, he would surely get himself killed.

"The light's green," a voice said, cutting through her thoughts.

Snow looked to her side, startled. Without opening his eyes, Nick pointed at the stoplight and Snow followed his finger to the light. She pressed on the gas pedal, and the car moved. At the feeling of the motion, Nick sighed, folded his hands and put them behind his head, as he waited for the return of slumber.

"So…" Snow started,

"We don't need to talk Jennifer. We both know that you don't want to be here. Even though I did say that we were going to have a good partnership… the fact of the matter is… if I stay out of your way and you stay out of mine, we will get along fine."

Snow shook her head, frustration boiling in the pits of her stomach. She looked sideways at the reclining fox. "I do want to be here. You don't know me."

Wilde sighed. He pulled up on the lever on the side of the chair, causing him to move forward. He took off his sunglasses and placing it on the dash in front of him, spoke "Tell me if this story sounds familiar. Ten-year veteran in a precinct outside of Zootopia works hard to get to the heart of the town, precinct one, which you are… congratulations on your transfer by the way… only to find out, uh oh, that her partner is possibly mentally unstable, and now she's going to have to work twice as hard to control said partner, because double whoopsie, she's found out that the Chief asked for her transfer, and not because of her work, drive and clearance rate. Now she's going to be lonely and miserable because she can't do the job that she enjoys, because she will be too busy worrying about her partner. After spending a couple of days with said partner, this veteran will ask for another transfer outside of precinct one."

Snow's jaw dropped as she looked at her new partner with admiration and suspicion. _Did he overhear my conversation with the Chief?_ After a couple of seconds of silence, Snow finally spoke up, "You got all that from just looking at me?"

Wilde cracked a small smile. He reached under his chair and pulled out a folder marked "Jennifer Snow." "Snuck this out of the Chief's office," Nick chuckled softly to himself, "Guess I still have it."

"That's private!" Snow exclaimed indignantly.

A false sense of hurt went across the vulpine's face. "I just thought that it was important for partners to learn about each other. Besides, what did you expect? We're foxes by nature."

"Fine," Snow snapped. "Now you know me. It's my turn."

"Shoot."

"Who was your partner? The one who died?"

Wilde's smile disappeared as quickly as it came. When Snow looked at him, she was shocked to see that he was staring straight ahead, his jaw tightened, and anger clearly visible. The officer looked down and saw that both of his paws were clenched. But even though Wilde appeared furious, Snow could tell that he carried an aura of sadness around with him. Finally, through gritted teeth, "How did you know about that?"

"Just an observation. Your partners disappear as quickly as they came. Clawhauser said you were hard to control, which meant you were influenced by a traumatic event. Also…"

"The Chief told you."

_Dang it_. Snow sighed. "The Chief told me."

Nick glanced at his new partner. "Let me ask you this question. Would you be comfortable with sharing your experience with me?" He opened the folder and searched for a few seconds. After finding what he was looking for, he read, "Snow was placed in a high-stress situation where she had to make split-second decisions…. Blah, blah, blah… Her ability to lead is being overshadowed by her mistake in the past."

Snow glared at Nick and grabbed the folder out of his hand. She threw it in the backseat behind her and muttered, "Point taken."

Wilde folded his arms and looked out of the window. Soon the familiar pattering noise of the rain filled his ears as the car left the tunnel and entered the Rainforest District.

/

_Zootopia – The Rainforest District._

Ignoring the rain hitting his fur, Nick slowly walked to the door of a building that looked like a warehouse. Another car was parked outside, showing that Fey and Rizzoli was still inside. Snow's car beeped behind him, showing that the doors locked, as the artic vixen walked next to the vulpine. The female fox slowly nodded her head and muttered, "Charming place."

The building was run down, and obviously very old. The outside walls were painted dark green, causing it to easily blend within the forest. But what was telling was that on the side of the building, a bright yellow paint, bearing the words "Sylvester Fruit Storage" was clearly visible. Wilde nodded to himself, recognizing the words. Noticing the action, Snow asked, "Do you know this place?"

Nick shook his head. "Not this particular building. But I personally knew Sylvester. Great guy. Helped us with a case last year… anyways, Sylvester was a fruit entrepreneur. He brings fruit across districts and sells them in others. When he's not selling them, he's storing them into buildings like these."

"So why would there be a dead body in this one?"

Nick shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that Sylvester is not involved in this."

"How do you know?" Snow challenged.

Wilde looked sideways at her. "Because he's dead. Died last year…. Would be pretty hard to kill someone if you're dead… Well, unless we have a zombie apocalypse on our paws."

Snow glared at the vulpine and without a word, turned and strode inside the building.

Smiling sadly to himself. "Judy would've liked this case. Scary building… missing animals… It's the Night Howlers all over again." Nick followed his partner inside.

It was cold and dark. The small room that Snow and Wilde was standing in, opened into a larger metal area, where it was obvious that the food was being kept. In the room, Nick could see four, police issued lamps that lit up the entire room revealing the true state that the building was in. Cobwebs were visible on the side of the walls and the ceiling. Fey, an antelope and Rizzoli, an ewe, were still examining the body, focused on their work that they didn't hear the two cops show up.

"Fey, Rizzoli." Nick acknowledged. "What do we have here?"

Rizzoli looked up at the fox. "An unidentified John Doe. The only thing we can tell is that he was a brown bear."

Nick nodded slowly. Putting on his gloves, the fox moved around to the side of the body. The brown bear was laying on his back, both arms were on the floor, above his head, as if the bear was trying to gesture that he was surrendering. With his right paw, Wilde moved the bear to the side, revealing a gunshot wound. _Through the temple… execution style._

"How do you know he was one of the kidnappers?" Snow asked.

"We found three sets of fur. All of them were brown. But the distinction between the brown furs were that one belong to our monkey, and the other… well, we found him." Fey spoke up.

Snow nodded. "And what about the third set of fur?"

"We don't know."

The artic fox sighed. She leaned down closer to the bear and saw that some fur were longer than others. The vixen picked up his paw and looked closer. After close examination, the experienced cop saw that it was bare around the knuckles and motioned for Nick's attention. After the orange vulpine looked over, Snow asked, "Self-defense?"

The orange fox nodded with agreement. After putting the deceased kidnapper's head down, Wilde started opened a side of the bear's jacket, revealing two pockets. A search in the first pocket revealed it to be empty. But the search in the second pocket was more fruitful as Nick found a card, with an outline of a wolf embedded on it, in silver. The vulpine looked at it confused, and handed it to the vixen. "Do you recognize this?"

Snow took it and after studying it, shook her head. "No. What do you think this means?"

"Hey guys! Look at this!" Fey exclaimed, by the leg.

Snow and Wilde moved to where the antelope was kneeling. She had spread the fur apart, and underneath it was a familiar picture: a tattoo of a silver wolf howling.

The artic vixen shook her head. "I've never seen this before. But when people get tattoos and have something else, like a card… usually tells me that they are a gang."

"Huh," Nick mused. "So we have a newly formed gang kidnap a monkey to make a statement. But before they could ransom the kid off, they had an argument over how much he was worth. Bear attacks, they fight, bear gets knocked down to the ground and shot…. Is this how I'm seeing it?"

Snow nodded. "That would sound right." She turned around and walked back to the front of the building. "I'll call Clawhauser. See if he could find anyone coming here and leaving. There's traffic cameras everywhere."

Nick smiled sadly to himself, remembering the Night Howler case. "Yeah… traffic cameras."

"What was that?"

Wilde looked up at Snow staring expectantly back at him. "Oh nothing," he responded, and turned his attention back to the bear. As he listened to Snow's footsteps disappear, Wilde continued his search through the bear jacket. As he went through the pocket again, making sure he did not miss anything, something appeared in the corner of his eye.

Stuck between the zippers of one of the pockets was brown fur. Nick reached in and pulled the fur free and looked at it closely. Finally, the orange vulpine sniffed it and was greeted with a familiar scent, lion.

_That can't be_. The fox looked up at Fey and Rizzoli. Both officers were too busy taking pictures of the tattoo that was on the leg. Quickly and silently, Wilde grabbed a small plastic back out of his shirt pocket and placed the piece of fur inside. He then placed the bag back into the shirt pocket, stood up, thanked both Fey and Rizzoli, and followed Snow outside.

Once reaching outside, the vixen, breathed a sigh of relief, enjoying the feel of rain against her face. She pulled out her phone and pressed a number.

"This is Clawhauser." The voice on the other line said.

"Jennifer Snow, badge number 435…"

The voice on the other line sighed. "Jennifer. You don't need to tell me your badge number. What do you need?"

"I'm at Sylvester's Warehouse in the Rainforest District, on Vineyard Street. Can you look through traffic cameras and let me know if you see anyone suspicious coming to and from the place?"

"You got it."

"Thanks Sergeant."

As soon as she hung up, her ears perked up to the noise of the door opening. The artic fox looked behind her and saw that Nick left the building, his paws in the pockets of his jeans. "Anything new?" she asked.

The vixen caught a quick look that flashed across her partner's face. But it disappeared as quickly as it came and Nick shook his head, smiling little "Nope. It seems like we hit a dead end."

"Not necessarily." Snow responded. "We've got a tattoo and the card. That's a lead."

"But I feel like I'm missing something. Why did they kidnap this kid in the first place? Who are his parents?"

"His father is a rare jewel museum curator. Recently, he found a diamond estimated to be in its millions last year in the Saharan Square." Rizzoli spoke up, causing both foxes to jump with surprise. The ewe had left the building and overheard the conversation between the two animals.

Wilde nodded slowly. "I remember that story…. What if they kidnapped his son to try to get to the diamond?"

Snow shook her head unconvinced, "But they wouldn't have enough manpower to do it if we stick to the theory that they are a small gang starting up. Besides, why kill the bear?"

Nick thought for a moment. "Guilt? The bear couldn't follow through with it? But think about it Snow. If they were a small gang, this heist would make them more powerful. They would be able to grow."

The vixen nodded with agreement. "Alright. So now we need to talk to the parents?"

Nick smiled, "I'm already ahead of you." The vulpine started to walk towards Snow's car. Once he reached it, his ears perked up to an unfamiliar sound. Wilde looked around and saw that Snow did the same.

"What is that?"

"I don't know," Snow responded. "It's coming from over there." She walked towards the other car, belonging to Fey and Rizzoli. The noise got louder and more rhythmic as she got closer. Once she arrived to the car, the rhythmic became more familiar and it finally registered. She spun around, ran towards the warehouse, yelling "Get down!"

Wilde dove behind Snow's car in time, as Rizzoli's car exploded into a fireball. Metal and debris went everywhere, as Nick stayed undercover. He could feel the heat of the explosion reach him, and as soon as it did, it disappeared. Finally after a few minutes, the fox stood up, cautiously looking over the car and at what used to be a car.

"Snow, you alright?" Nick called out.

"I'm good. I'm okay." Snow responded, coughing. She looked at the car and bit back a curse. "The second dang bomb today!"

Fey rushed out of the building, and after helping Rizzoli up, looked at the smoldering ruins of the car. "Well, I guess that we're on the right track. No one wants us close to this case. You okay there Wilde?"

Nick wasn't listening. He was busy searching around the darkness of the forest. It was obvious that the bomb was on a timer due to its rhythmic beeping. But before Fey could say the word, Nick knew that the explosion served as a warning to stay away from the case. _And for us to stay away from the case, they would have to see if we were dead. Which means someone had to be here._

A screeching noise was heard and Nick spun around. Behind him, a black car was seen driving away, kicking up gravel from the road. "Snow!" Nick yelled, pointing at the car.

After Snow unlocked the car, Nick sat in the passenger seat, pulling out his beloved Smith and Yakinson M&P 9 out of his holster. Immediately, Snow jumped into the driver seat, and soon, they backed out away from the warehouse, spun around and gave chase.

Rain smashed against the windshield, pouring harder than ever before. Snow turned on the windshield wipers on high, clearing her visibility, as she turned on the windy road, down the hill.

"Can't you go any faster?" Nick yelled with desperation. "He's getting away?"

"I'm trying my best Wilde!" Snow responded. "I'm trying not to kill us. It's dark and the road is too windy."

Nick groaned as the black car started to disappear from sight. With each turn, the car would appear, and then disappear, as the two raced down the hill. _This driver is good_, Nick thought with a hint of admiration.

As Snow drove, the road became windier and steeper as the two cars started to leave the giant hill. _Come on… Come on…_ Nick thought, silently urging his partner to drive faster.

The road led into a giant U, with the forest filling the space between the roads. The black car had already started to turn, once seeing that, dread filled the orange fox. "Snow! When he gets to the other side, it's all downhill and he's going to be gone. Do you understand me?"

"I can't help it Wilde! He already had a head start!"

Nick groaned, and as he watched the driver make the turn, his analytical mind started to form a plan. He smiled grimly to himself, holstered his pistol and looked at Snow. "You're going to hate me."

"I already do!"

"Well, even more then."

Nick smiled again, and opened the passenger door. Rain pattered against his head and the wind howled in his ears. Ignoring Snow shocked cries, Nick placed a foot on the door and hoisted himself to the roof of the car. Lying on his stomach, Wilde pushed the passenger door close and heard the window on the driver side roll down.

"Are you crazy?" Snow yelled.

"Maybe!"

Wilde slowly picked himself up, watching his balance and being careful not to slip on the roof of the car. As he watched the black car complete the turn and started going downhill, Nick smiled softly to himself.

_If this fails, then I'll be with you Judy._ He thought. Summoning his courage, the fox jumped off the car and down the cliff into the forest below.

His paws reached up, grasping for anything to grab onto. The familiar feeling of vines snaked through his right hand, and remembering the swing he did with Judy from the Night Howler case, Nick shut his eyes, as he felt his body jolt forward.

_This vine better be looooooong! _His mind screamed as he felt the vine stop, and his paws letting go. As he sailed through the air, leaves and other small branches whipped across his face, leaving stinging sensations across his cheek. The fox fell and prepared for his body to smash against the concrete and for the sweet release of death.

_WHUMP_

Nick groaned with pain as the wind escaped his lung as the fox hit a giant leaf, slowing his fall. The vulpine slipped down the leaf and fell onto the roof of the speeding black car. The fox quickly scrambled onto his stomach and held onto for dear life. The car screeched to a halt and Nick felt his body fly forward. But because his paws were holding onto the roof, he flipped forward and smashed against the windshield.

The driver, a buck growled with surprise at the fox. Nick groaned and turned around to face the animal.

"You!" Nick growled with anger, pulling out his pistol. Before he could get a shot off, the buck pressed on the gas pedal and the car sped off, with the vulpine still on the hood.

Holding onto for dear life, Nick looked up at the driver. "Do you mind pulling over?" he yelled.

There was no response from the driver, and Nick shook his head. "I know you can hear me! There's a literal hole in your windshield, so you can't ignore me!"

The driver answered by jerking to the right, causing the vulpine to slide to the left. Nick yipped with surprise and was greeted with the sensation of his feet hitting against the asphalt, as he desperately held on. After several seconds of struggling to regain control, Nick made a decision. He let go of his grip on the hood and as he felt his body move backwards, he grabbed onto the driver-side mirror with his left paw. With his right one, he pulled out his pistol and did the only thing he could think of.

He shot the back left tire of the car, and it exploded, causing the car to wobble back and forth. Finally, after trying to gain control, the buck jerked the wheel and the car screeched to the right, causing Nick to be thrown off, and tumbling on the road. The black car smashed against the side of the cliff, smoke escaping the hood. The vulpine painfully picked himself up and hobbled towards the car and the driver.

The buck had opened the door and fallen out. He painfully tried to crawl away, as blood escaped his side, where a piece of rock from the cliff cut through. Suddenly, pain flashed through his tail, as he felt a heavy shoe clamp against it. With an aching sigh, the buck flipped over onto his back and was greeted by the sight of Nick's pistol.

"Where's the kid?" Nick growled.

There was no answer, which infuriated the fox even further. Nick kept his pistol trained at the buck as he searched through his jacket. Feeling a familiar shape, the fox pulled it out. It was the same card found on the bear and Nick flipped it over, showing it to the criminal. "What's this?" he demanded.

No answer.

The vulpine went searching through the jacket again. He felt something that was a vial. He pulled it out and looked at it. Inside the vial was a small translucent liquid and as he shook it, it swirled, showing no change. Finally, Nick placed the vial into his shirt pocket, next to the baggie.

Nick growled again with frustration. "Who are you?"

Finally, the buck spoke up. "You don't know me." He smiled. "But I know you. Officer Nicholas Wilde…. I wasn't there, but I heard what happened."

Nick's anger slowly seeped. "What do you mean?"

The buck gave an evil grin. "I heard Judy begged for her life."

Nick snapped. He roared with fury and slammed his left foot on the buck's wound. The criminal gave a cry of pain, but was met with no remorse from the fox. "I'm going to ask you again… Who are you?"

"Judy was a weeper. She begged on her knees to live. She was a blubbering mess. Kept saying that she needed to live… I only wish that they did keep her alive… So we could take her and have our way…"

A gunshot was heard, and the bullet tore through the buck's forehead, shattering his skull and entering his brain, silencing him forever.

Nick holstered his pistol, breathing heavily, his paw shaking. He was shocked at how quickly he did it. _Oh Judy… What did I do?_

Shaking his head, the fox slowly walked towards the car and sat down in front of it. Soon, the familiar headlights of Snow's car illuminated his face, and Nick painfully stood up, the rain doing nothing to help him.

Snow stopped the car, got out and ran to him. She took a quick look at the buck and shook her head. She stopped quickly once she saw Nick staring back at her, his emerald eyes cold and his face expressionless. The vixen looked back at the buck and back at the fox. _Don't tell me…_

She pushed the thought out of her head and spoke, "What happened?"

Nick groaned, clutching his side. He gestured towards the gun that was at the buck's hip. "I bet that's the gun that killed our bear. He reached for it, I reacted."

Snow looked at the body and where Nick was pointing. Her veteran eyes quickly examining the body. _There was no movement_… the thought nervously entered her mind. _Should I ask him about it?_

Snow looked back at Wilde and Nick was walking slowly towards her, his head down with pain. _I've been where he was… _

Making a quick decision, Snow shook her head, "Did you find anything else?"

"Only this card…" Nick paused, pondering if he should tell Snow about the vial, but decided against it. The vulpine reached in his shirt pocket and showed it to the vixen. Snow grabbed it out of his hand and examined it. It was the same card as found on the bear, a silver wolf, but with one difference.

"Nick…" the officer whispered with excitement.

"What?"

"First of all… you're insane."

Nick chuckled softly, "and the second?"

Snow flipped the card over, showing her partner what he had missed. "We have a lead," she said giving the fox the card. Nick looked closely and saw that she was right.

Printed on the card, was an address.


	4. Chapter 3: Crime and Punishment

**A/N: Hello Everyone! Today is my last day of vacation, and I return to work tomorrow. I will do my best to keep this story updated/going for your entertainment! Let me know if you have any questions!**

Chapter 3: Crime and Punishment

_Zootopia – Jennifer Snow's Apartment_

Jennifer Snow pulled into the parking garage, located underneath her apartment building in the heart of Zootopia, a short drive from Precinct One. She turned off her car, pulled her purse out and opened the door. The ten-year veteran locked the car and strode towards the elevator, with a grateful sigh.

_Today is finally over_.

She pressed a button and waited for the elevator to arrive to her floor. The fox fished through her purse, pulled out her cellphone and checked her emails. "Trash… Junk…." She muttered to herself, while swiping through. The elevator door dinged and the officer looked up, just as it opened. A smiling giraffe stepped through, bending his long neck to get out of the elevator, and nodded briefly in greeting.

Snow nodded back, stepped into the elevator, and while still holding her phone, pressed the button, "5." The elevator complied, closed the door and started its slow ascent up to her desired choice. The vixen closed her emails, shut her phone and put it back in her pocket, while simultaneously, looked through her purse to find her room key. She pulled the key out as soon as the elevator stopped on her floor. The doors opened and the vixen made a beeline for her own apartment, stopping only once to say 'hello' to an elderly neighbor.

Arriving at the apartment and placing her key in, Snow twisted it and was satisfied to hear the friendly _click _of the bolt turning in its lock. The officer opened the door, but before stepping through, waited for an item that only her keen eyes could see.

There! Snow looked down and underneath a crack of the door, was a small slither of paper. The vixen picked it up and stepped through into her apartment, turned around and placed the paper back on top of the door and closed it, locking it in position. _Ever since…_

Snow shook her head stopping the sentence. She did not want to revisit the painful memory. Not now, especially when she had a nightmare to control. The vixen turned around and looked down at the small hallway that led into her apartment. Several boxes lined the hallway, showing that she was not finished unpacking and moving in. The white walls of the hallway was bare of any pictures. To her right, was a closet, and Snow immediately took off her jacket. Making sure that the ZPD badge was still present in the lapel, Snow hung it there. After she closed her door, she took her pistol, a Wolfer LC9, out of the holster, placed it on a small, brown table next to the closet. Finally, the artic fox took off her holster and hung it on a small hook above the table.

Snow left the table and started to walk into the living room. Her apartment was modest, but it wasn't big, nor was it small. Her living room consisted of two white couches in an L-shape, with the base of the shape facing the sliding glass door. The other couch faced a wall, where a flat screen TV hung. Underneath the TV was another table, but it was adorned with pictures. To her left, was the kitchen, consisting of a full size refrigerator, stove, microwave and cabinets. In front of the stove was an island with marble counters, with three barstools. To her right, another hallway led to the bedroom and bathroom.

The artic fox made her way to the kitchen where she popped open a bottle of wine, her favorite, a Stag's Leap, made exclusively in Tundratown. With a glass in her hand, Snow walked to the couch in her living room, carelessly tossed her phone on the furniture and with one arm folded across, took a sip while watching Zootopia breathe with life.

She shook her head, and placed her glass on the coffee table in front of the couch. With a sigh, the vixen gratefully kicked her shoes off her feet, glad to finally escape the remaining confines of work. After sitting down, she picked up a book, _Carless Love,_ found her place and started to read. Within a few minutes, Snow grunted with frustration, closed her book and tossed them on the couch. She stood up, grabbed her phone, opened it and dialed in a number. Snow placed it on her ear, waiting for a familiar voice to appear on the other line.

After ringing for a few seconds, Snow was greeted with a familiar voice. She listened to the recording, and once it stopped, it gave a familiar beep, telling the fox that she could start talking. Instead, Snow closed her phone, and with a tear escaping her eye, walked to the desk underneath the TV. She picked up a picture, and after staring at it for a few seconds, snarled with anger, and threw the picture against the wall, the glass shattering and the frame breaking.

With a loud sob, the officer buried her hands in her face and slunk down the wall. It was there that she cried for a few minutes. Suddenly, knock on the door was heard, and Snow quickly swiveled to the noise. She strode across the room, looked through the peephole and with a sigh opened it. In front of her was an elderly cat, his hands folded nervously.

"Erm… hello, Miss Snow. You were being awfully loud in there. Are you alright?"

Snow sniffed and slowly nodded. "I'm really sorry, Mr. Chow. I didn't mean to keep you up. I'm fine, just fine."

The cat studied her tear-stained face, and it was very clear to him that she wasn't. Finally, he sighed, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Snow shook her head wordlessly, and Mr. Chow offered his hand. After Snow took it, the elderly cat patted the smooth paw of the vixen. "I don't know about you," he mused, "But when I'm sad, I always find joy in helping others. I know that you're a police officer, Miss Snow. Make sure that you find joy in the work you're doing." With that being said, Mr. Chow smiled again, patted her paw once more, and walked away, back to his own apartment, next door.

Snow was surprised with her interaction, and shook her head. She turned around, closed the door and walked back to the couch. She grabbed her glass, took a sip and sighed again, as her mind wandered to the subject that had been bothering her all day: Nicholas Wilde.

Through her drive back to the apartment, Snow had an inner struggle on whether or not she should talk to her partner about the buck. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to confront and turn him in. But at the same time, she already felt loyalty to the officer. With that in her mind, her resolve steeled. _I'm going to help him, no matter what. I won't let him be where I was._

/

_Zootopia – Nick's trailer_

Nick Wilde slowly unbuttoned his green shirt, revealing a giant bruise on his side. He shook his head with admiration, replaying the event of the car chase. He was amazed that the giant leaf happened to be there to slow his fall _and_ he happened to land on the car that he was chasing. _But what good does it do for me, when I can't feel my side?_

The orange vulpine threw his shirt off, and removed his pants, tossing them aside, to his still growing pile of laundry. Wilde groaned again, as he was reminded of the need to wash them. The fox, in his underwear, slowly walked to the mini-fridge, opened it, and grabbed a bottle of beer. He turned around and ambled slowly to the couch, where he popped it open and took a drink.

_I'm getting closer, Judy._

He shook his head, disagreeing with his own thought. He had a lot of work to do, and he knew it. But he was happy with what he found at the crime scene.

It was a long shot, and he knew it, but _if I could track the lion down with the fur I found, maybe I can finally get some answers._

The orange vulpine grabbed a remote from underneath the couch and clicked on the power button. The small TV, on the table next to him, flickered to life, and Nick was greeted with a familiar scene- Zassy's Zebra.

Several weeks after Judy's death, Nick immediately requested for the CCTV footage, and his request was granted by the owner of the restaurant. The vulpine took the tapes back to his own trailer, because he knew that the ZPD was finished with them. It was at the trailer that Nick replayed the footage, every night, his hopeful eyes scouring the screen, hoping he would find something that he missed.

As the tape played, Nick watched, replaying that same night as his eyes searched for a new clue. The criminals entered with gunshots… Nick leaving the restaurant…. Judy standing up from behind the table and placing her own weapon down… the criminal laughing evilly and raising his pistol. Nick's steely eyes didn't flinch after he saw the bullet enter the body of his former partner and she fell. A few minutes later, he saw himself run to the fallen comrade and comfort her. Dimly, he could hear his words crackle through the old speakers. His mouth moved as he repeated the same exact lines, as he searched the crowds for evidence that he missed. Finally, the screen went black, as the tape stopped playing, and Nick shook his head with disgust, turned off the TV, and threw the remote back under the couch.

The vulpine reached for his bottle and took another drink, finishing the whole bottle in one draft. He carelessly threw the bottle away from him, hearing a familiar _clank_ as it hit the side of the counter. With a groan of pain, the vulpine flipped over on his back, and with one arm serving as a pillow, Wilde fell asleep.

_It was dark and cold. Nick raised his paws in front of his face, and even though he couldn't see it, he knew they were there. A _click_ was heard, and a light turned on behind him. He turned around and saw the buck laying on the ground, jeering at him. _

_ Nick raised his pistol to finish the job. Immediately, he felt a paw wrap around his own, and the fox turned around. He gave a startle cry as he saw Judy smiling at him, and shaking her head._

"_Protect and serve." She reached up with a pall and placed it on Nick's cheek._

"_But not for criminal scum like them! He killed you, Judy! He told me!" Nick argued, yanking his pistol away from her. Judy's smiling face was replaced with one of sadness. The bunny shook her head and spoke softly, "This is not how we do it."_

"_I don't care!"_

"_Nick… please don't do anything that you will regret."_

_The vulpine spun around to the bunny, seething with rage. But at the sound of her voice and her sentence, his anger left as quickly as it came. Instead, a tear escaped his eye and he felt small paws wrap around his waist as Judy pulled the fox into a small hug._

_Nick returned the hug, sighing deeply. After holding his friend and the one he loved, he pushed her away and shook his head. "I already regret not being there for you."_

_With that statement, he pushed her away, turned around, raised his pistol and shot the buck through the head. Feeling satisfaction, the fox turned around, holstered his pistol and smiled grimly, "That's one less animal I have to worry about."_

_Judy put her paws up in front of her mouth, concealing her shock. "Oh, Nick…" she whispered. "What have you done?"_

"_Finding your killers."_

_Judy shook her head. "You don't understand, Nick! Doing this won't bring me back! Save yourself while you still can!"_

_A roaring noise was heard, and a lion appeared from the shadows. Without hesitation, Nick raised his pistol again and shot the lion through the heart. He crumpled into a heap, no sound escaping from his lips._

"_Too late, Judy."_

Nick woke up with a start, the sun streaming through the small window, his breath in raggedy gasps.

_Save yourself…_ Judy's voice echoed through his mind.

The orange vulpine turned on his side, and started to cry.

/

_Zootopia – Zootopia Police Department_

Jennifer Snow paced back and forth impatiently in front of Clawhauser, muttering to herself, "Why is he late. That idiot is always late." Finally, she stopped her pacing and glared at the obese cheetah and demanded, "Where is Nick?"

Clawhauser could only shrug. "When I called, he said that he was on his way."

"That was twenty minutes ago!" Snow exclaimed, checking her watch and rolling her eyes. "Oh that miserable little maggot… I'm going to rip his head off, spit in his eyes and make him eat his own tail. Then I'm going to hang his head off the pole and use it for target practice. After I fill it with lead, I'm gonna…" Snow stopped as she watched Clawhauser's facial expression change.

"He's behind me, isn't he?"

Clawhauser nodded, giving a small smile. The obese cheetah turned his attention to a fresh new box of doughnuts on his side. Snow spun around, giving her partner what she hoped was a winning smile. "Nick!"

"You know, threatening a fellow police officer is a serious crime, Snow. It would be a shame for Chief Bogo to find out about this."

"You tell the Chief, he'd never believe you. It's my word against yours."

Wilde smiled mischievously. He raised his cellphone and Snow was shocked to see a green play button appear. The vulpine pressed it with his thumb, and Snow's voice entered the lobby, clear as day, "Then I'm going to hang his head off the pole and use it for…." Nick paused it again. He flipped his phone and placed it back into his pocket. "Actually, it's your word against yours."

The arctic vixen turned and looked back at the desk sergeant, who was trying his best not to laugh. "Is he always like this?"

Clawhauser nodded, "Unfortunately. But don't worry, he won't do anything…. Right?" he gave Nick a meaningful glance.

The vulpine sighed, and muttered, "You're no fun, Clawsie." He erased the recording from his phone and placed it back into his pocket. Finally, Nick looked at his partner, "Well… what's the emergency?"

Snow beamed. "After you went home from your insane trick, I came back here. Asked the night shift to search for the address on the card, because it wasn't showing up on the database. Turns out that it's a small shack, behind an empty lot, back in Rainforest District. Because the lot didn't have an address, the database never found it. So, we're going to head over there."

Wilde thought for a minute, "We have officers with Mr. Tartuo, right?" After Snow nodded, Nick continued, "Have they called yet?"

"No call yet," Clawhauser called from behind the artic vixen, confirming his suspicions.

Nick nodded, pleased. "That's good, we have some time. Change of plans. I'll head over to the shack. You go talk to the kid's parents."

"But…"

"Snow, you have more experience talking to people than I do. So it makes more sense this way. Besides, I'd prefer having someone with…. a little _more_ experience to handle the call, when it comes."

Snow gave a small growl of frustration, but knew that he was right. As Nick turned around and walked away, she called after him, trying to get the last word. "Just remember this Wilde, I'm still your senior!"

Nick turned back and started to walk backwards. He shrugged nonchalantly, moved his aviators down just so his eyes were barely visible, and gave a small smile, "Oh I know… I just don't care."

/

_Zootopia_

Jennifer Snow strode up the steps to the huge museum in front of her. The artic vixen immediately flashed her badge to an officer there and was granted access. As she stepped through the two glass doors, the fox couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of the museum. Marble pillars lined the large room, holding the roof above her. Different floors snaked its way around the pillars, and Snow could see that each floor had a different theme. Paintings and other rare artifacts lined the wall, as the fox walked towards the elevator.

She pressed the button and the doors opened immediately. The vixen stepped inside and pressed a number. After a couple of seconds, the door closed and Snow was propelled up to the top. When she had asked where Mr. and Mrs. Taruto were, she was surprised to hear that they were at the museum, as it turned out the family had a small penthouse, located above it. The doors opened, and Snow gasped, as clear white floors, illuminated underneath the lights, glowed. She stepped out of the elevator, looked to her right and saw that the entire roof of the penthouse was glass. The arctic vixen shook her head with admiration, _I could get used to living like this._

"Miss Snow?" a voice interrupted her thoughts, and the vixen turned around. A leopard wearing a suit and a tie bowed, motioning towards what she assumed was the living room. "We have been expecting you."

The fox nodded slowly, "And the officers?"

"Left after they were told you were on your way."

Snow shook her head, biting back a curse that threatened to escape her lips. "They should've stayed, until I arrived."

The leopard, not hearing her mutter to herself, looked at her quizzically. Snow gave him a smile and pointed. "That way?"

"Yes, Miss Snow. May I offer you any refreshment while you're here?"

She started to shake her head, as she did, realized that she was thirsty. Instead, she nodded and smiled, "I'll have a glass of water?"

"Right away, Miss Snow."

As the leopard turned around and went towards the kitchen, Snow continued her walk. She entered the living room and shook her head with admiration and she looked around, forgetting her professionalism.

The living room was huge. Its white-painted walls were adorned with different paintings from different eras. Underneath these paintings, statues of different famous animals from history stood at attention. She noticed that there were three small hallways, the entrances decorated with small potted plants. The vixen figured that the other two led to the kitchen and the bedroom. Snow turned her attention back to the living room and saw that in the middle of the giant room, were four brown couches, situated in a square with a glass coffee table in the center. Occupying the couches were two monkeys, both with their attention on the lone cellphone that was on the glass coffee table.

As she went down a small step, both monkeys quickly turned their attention back to the vixen. The female, wore a bright pink dress, that when caught in the sunlight through the glass roof, reflected with such luminosity that hurt the fox's eyes. The husband, on the other hand, wore a simple suit and tie. He stood up and offered his paw, and Snow accepted it, shaking it.

"Jennifer Snow."

"Barry Taruto. This is my wife, Tina. Thank you for coming, Officer Snow."

The vixen smiled. "Call me, Snow… or Jennifer."

The monkey nodded his head and gestured towards the couch. Snow accepted gratefully and sat down. Within a few seconds, the leopard showed up, with a glass of water in hand, and handed it to her. Giving her thanks, the officer took a drink, and placed it down on the coaster of the table. She turned her attention back to the monkeys and said, "So did the officers explain what I am doing?"

They both shook their head, causing Snow further disappointment. She sighed and spoke, "When the kidnappers call for the ransom, you do exactly as I say. We placed a chip on your cellphone, which allows me to hear everything. You say anything else, you may put your son in harm. Do you understand me?"

The monkeys both looked at each other, and slowly nodded. But, Snow caught a worried look that flashed across Tina's face. The vixen looked at her and asked, "Are you alright?"

As Tina opened her mouth, Barry interrupted, "She's fine. We're all fine."

At that sentence, Tina stood up with anger, spun around and slapped her husband in the face. The smack echoed through the room, and caused Snow to stand up quickly. Instinctively, she placed her paw on her gun and another paw in the air. "Ma'am, can you please sit back down?"

"He killed him! He killed our son!" she cried.

Snow looked at Barry, who was looking down on the floor, tears freely streaming down his cheeks. The vixen looked back at Tina, "What do you mean?"

Through sobs, the monkey responded, stammering, "They called yesterday morning, several minutes after they took him…. Asked for the diamond… we did a drop off in the Rainforest District…. They said that he would be back home yesterday night. Yesterday night!"

"Tina… please…"

"Shut up, Barry! I don't want to listen to a word that comes out of your mouth! I wanted to go to the police… you didn't Barry… you didn't…." the monkey collapsed on the couch, wailing loudly.

Snow cursed out loud, spun around and left the living room. Pulling out her phone, she immediately dialed in a number.

"Go for Wilde."

"I'm at the parents' house. They already did the drop."

"You mean the kidnappers called?"

Snow nodded instinctively, "But it was yesterday. They did what we thought they would do. They asked for the diamond and the Tarutos delivered."

Wilde cursed over the line, and sighed. "Well, we don't have a lot of time."

"Please tell me you found something."

"I'm working on it, Snow. I'll call you when I do."

The line went dead, and Snow sighed with exasperation. She pressed another button, hearing the familiar ringing.

"This is Clawhauser."

"Send officers to the Taruto place. I'm going to help Nick." She immediately hung up, placed the phone in her pocket and waited for the elevator.

/

_Zootopia – The Rainforest District_

Nick Wilde turned down the volume to a Gazelle song as he pulled up to the lot. Turning off his car, the fox closed his sunglasses and tossed them on the passenger seat. He got out, and felt the familiar rain hitting against his body, and shook his head. He was tired of the Rainforest District already, and wished that he wasn't there.

_It's all part of the work_.

Wilde sighed. He shut the door and strode through the lot, the mud squishing underneath his boots. After several minutes of walking through the dark, Nick turned around a tree, and was rewarded with the sight of the shack. Wilde smiled with pleasure, but at the same time, groaned with frustration. He hated working cases in the Rainforest District, as the water tend to wash the evidence away. The fox slowly made his way to the shack, keeping his eye on the ground, looking for any clues.

The vulpine reached the door and knelt down. Pulling out his phone, he flipped on the flashlight and held it up at an angle. After searching for a few minutes, Nick sighed and shook his head. _These guys are pros… no paw prints._

The fox fished in his back pocket of his jeans and pulled out latex gloves. After putting them on, he pulled out his pistol, and readied himself to go in. After breathing for a couple of seconds, to calm himself, Nick stood in front of the door and with a hard kick, knocked it down.

The force of the vulpine's kick caused the door to be ripped off of its hinges and fall onto the ground with a soft thud. Nick raised his flashlight and the small beam of light illuminated the tiny room in front of him. There was only one chair in the middle of the room, and nothing else. Wilde took a step forward, moving his phone around, examining the room. He nodded to himself, pleased that there were no one there, holstered his gun and got to work.

The first place he went to was the chair. After shining the light around the chair, he was greeted with… nothing.

His cellphone buzzed in his paw and he pressed the 'answer' as he bright it up to his ear.

"Go for Wilde."

Snow's voice was heard, "I'm at the parents' house. They already did the drop."

"You mean the kidnappers called?"

Nick's mouth shot open as he heard her answer, "But it was yesterday. They did what we thought they would do. They asked for the diamond and the Tarutos delivered."

The vulpine cursed. "Well, we don't have a lot of time."

"Please tell me you found something."

"I'm working on it, Snow. I'll call you when I do."

With that statement, Nick hung up on his partner and shook his head with frustration. After looking at the chair, he sighed, and started to turn around to walk away. As he did, he stopped, realizing that he didn't see a small rope that was still attached to the chair, and as the vulpine stepped closer, he smiled with victory. Under the light of his flashlight, a small strand of fur could be seen. He took the fur and looked closely, inspecting it. _This must be our monkey…_

He took a small plastic bag and placed the fur in it. The vulpine sealed it and placed it back into his pocket. The fox shone his flashlight around the room and was greeted with nothing. He looked at the floor and was rewarded with no paw prints. The fox sighed and shook his head again, _this was a dead end_.

Nick turned off his flashlight and walked out of the front door. _Gonna have to call Snow… What the heck?_

The fox noticed that the ground wasn't wet. He looked up and saw that the trees gave ample of cover and protection from the rain. Nick smiled excitedly and looked at the ground. He walked around the perimeter of the shack hoping to find the one thing he was looking for.

There! When Nick went behind the shack, his keen eyes caught an indentation in the dirt, that hasn't been washed by the rain. The fox knelt down, ignoring cold dirt seeping into his knees, and took a closer look. _Tire tracks…. Leading away from here to the back! What is in that direction?_

He stood up and pulled out his phone and took a picture of the track. He opened a message and texted the picture to Clawhauser, requesting for the track to be run through the database. As he waited for Clawhauser's answer, Nick took another closer look. _There has to be something else…_

As the fox examined the track, he noticed that there were small specks of dirt. He first ignored it, treating it as dirt, but immediately came back to it. He reached down with his paw and picked it up, noticing that it didn't blend in with the rest of the mud. Nick hurriedly ran back out of the forest, towards his car, and opened his paw, causing rainwater to fall.

To Nick's excitement, the mud wore way, revealing it to be… dirt. _Huh?_ Instead, he rubbed his fingers together, feeling the dirt travel through his fingertips. The more he did, the more he noticed that it became coarser and coarser.

The realization hit Nick like lightning. _Sand!_

Immediately, his phone buzzed and Nick was glad to see a text from Clawhauser. He opened the message and read it out loud. "Tire tracks match a Ford-F150 truck. But what is weird… tires are custom made to gain better traction for surroundings such as the desert. Did the liberty of running the plates. Truck is in Sahara Square, by a new office building still being built."

Wilde smiled immediately and turned around and started to walk towards his car. After a few minutes of hesitation, the fox pulled out his phone, dialed in a number and waited for a voice.

"Jennifer Snow."

"Meet me in Sahara Square! I'll text you an address!"

"Did you find something?"

Nick hung up. Whistling jovially, the fox ran to the car.

/

_Zootopia – Sahara Square_

The heat of the sunset beat down on Jennifer Snow as she waited outside of her car at the building. She shook her head, _how can anyone handle this heat? _Her arms unfolded as she heard the familiar sound of tires hitting against the sand. The arctic vixen turned around and saw a Mustang pull into park and turn off. A smiling Nick Wilde got out of the car, adjusted his belt, and approached Snow.

"What's the plan?" he asked.

"We call and wait for backup." Snow responded.

Nick rolled his eyes. "We can't wait. The more time we waste, the likely the kid is going to get killed. We need to go in there."

"How do you even know he's there?"

"I found some monkey fur at the shack belonging to him. Also, I saw tire tracks, belonging to…" Nick placed his paw over his eyes, shielding it from the sun. "…. That truck there!"

Snow followed Nick's point and saw a gleaming truck parked next to the building. She sighed, but still shook her head. "This is insane, Wilde. We don't even know how many people are in that building. We need to wait for back up!"

The vixen turned back and saw an empty space occupied where Nick was standing. "Wilde? Nick?" She looked around and bit back a curse as she saw the vulpine stealthily move his way to the building. Snow groaned and followed him, pulling her pistol out of the holster.

Nick smiled grimly as he heard pawsteps behind him as Snow inched closer to him. He looked upwards at the building, and started to count,_ eight… Nine… Ten…. Eleven. Eleven stories. The kid might be up there._

The vulpine turned to his partner and whispered, "I think the monkey is going to be up there. Here's the plan. I'll take the south stairwell and you take the north. We meet on the eleventh floor?"

Snow looked up at the building and slowly nodded. A plan was better than nothing. Wilde smiled again, and opened the front door.

A small hallway led to a wall. Both officers checked both sides of the T-junction and the vulpine and vixen both took the left side as it led to both stairwells. They both walked, with their pistols out, ears straining to hear for voices, or anything. Snow immediately stopped and whispered, "Nick!"

"What?"

"I hear something. Coming from that room." She motioned with her head.

Nick nodded, and took place next to the door. Wilde raised up three fingers and started to count down.

Three…

Two…

One…

After 'one', Nick reached for the doorknob with his left paw and twisted it. The door opened easily, and Snow stepped through with her partner in tow, only to be stopped immediately.

Five guns were trained on them both, all being held by masked animals. At the sight of the guns, Snow and Wilde immediately raised their hands up. But what was telling was that they all wore a jacket. On each jacket was a symbol: A silver wolf.

Nick nudged his partner and motioned with his head. "I think we're in the right place."

Snow glared at Nick, "Eleventh floor?"

Nick shrugged. "It was an educated guess."

The vulpine felt his own pistol being yanked out of his hand, and a rifle being poked in his back. "This is another fine pickle you walked us into, Wilde." Snow whispered.

"We'll be fine."

"How do you know?"

Nick smiled at one of the masked animals as both vulpine and vixen walked through the hallway. "They haven't killed us yet."

Snow rolled her eyes at Nick's offhand attitude. The five masked animals led them through the hallway and into a large empty room. Unfinished concrete walls, tools, and discarded nails littered the room, and floor. In the middle of the room stood a large coyote, with a pistol trained at hooded figure. One masked man walked to the coyote, and handed him a gun. The coyote looked at it and whistled, "Smith and Yakinson M&P 9. A good gun. I think I'll keep it. I've never had a cop gun before."

Wilde looked between the coyote and the hooded animal. He felt his throat tighten, and anger boil in his stomach as he saw that the hooded figure was a monkey. "You coward," he growled, "Point that gun at someone your own size!"

The coyote smiled and shook his head. "Hello, Jennifer Snow… Nicholas Wilde."

"How do you know our name?" Snow demanded.

"Oh… I know everything about you, Miss Snow. I've been watching you very, very carefully."

"Why?"

"Because you are a threat to our whole operation, of course… We needed the diamond to pull it off."

"Well, you have it now!" Nick spoke. "Let the kid go."

The coyote chuckled again. "I'm not going to do that, Mr. Wilde. No… I think I'm going to… test your limits… You see, Mr. Wilde… I know all about you and your girlfriend, Judy Hopps. It was fun, hearing about her death."

A growl escaped Nick's throat as he took a step forward. As he did, the coyote pushed the gun closer to the monkey's head. That action, caused him to stop his movement. "Why did she need to die? Why?"

"She was a celebrity. With her, hope exists in Zootopia. With her gone… we can do whatever we want."

"Who _are_ we?"

The leader of the group shook his head, denying him any answer. "Alas, I can't tell you. Actually, I can… I just don't want to. Because you'll be dead by then!"

"I'm going to kill you!" Nick snarled.

The coyote smiled. "I doubt that. I really do." He holstered his pistol and yanked the hood off the monkey. Nick heard a gasp emit from Snow as it was revealed that the monkey was young, no more than eight years old. He was still alive, but with tears streaming down his face.

The leader sighed and started to walk past both Snow and Nick. Before he went through the door to leave the room, he looked back at his men and spoke, "Take the girl to a different room and take care of her. With him… Kill the kid first, and make him watch." With that statement, he left, closing the door behind him.

Snow gave a cry of protest as two masked animals grabbed her arms and led her across the room to a different door. As she left, a masked animal chuckled to himself. He left both the vulpine and vixen standing, and walked towards the young monkey, his rifle at the ready. He raised the rifle, took aim and as he was about to squeeze the trigger, a gunshot was heard. Pain flashed through his leg, as the bullet ripped and destroyed his kneecap. The animal fell with a cry. A second bullet entered the back of his skull, silencing him forever.

Nick had pulled out his backup pistol from the back of his jeans. After firing a bullet at the gunman, he spun around and took advantage of the surprise, easily dispatching the other two. He checked the magazine and saw that he had two bullets left. _Gotta make it count._

The sound of the door opened from across the room as the remaining two, hearing gunshots, ran out. Death greeted them in form of Nick Wilde, as the final two bullets, with precise accuracy from years of training smashed both masked animals in the face, killing both immediately.

Nick breathed heavily, and looked at the monkey, who was trying to look away from the fox. The vulpine put his gun back in its position and moved his jacket, revealing a badge.

"I'm police," he said. "You're okay now."

Snow rushed back into the room, and saw that everyone was dead. The ten-year veteran couldn't help but feel admiration for the vulpine as she saw that he had dispatched everyone with ease. _Third time in two days he's impressed me…_

The vixen pulled out her cellphone and dialed a number, but immediately stopped, as Nick yelled out, "I'm going after him! Do you have a weapon?"

"Not without backup, you're not! I can't find it!"

Nick swore as he continued walking. He picked up a rifle and threw it in her direction. As Snow caught it, Nick continued, "You're my backup!"

Snow groaned and put the rifle on the ground. She untied the young monkey, grabbed his hand and ran after Nick. All the animals reached outside, and was greeted by darkness. Nick looked around desperately, "No… he's gone… NO!"

Light flashed behind them and a gunshot was heard. The vulpine felt the sand splash against his leg, after the bullet hit the ground. He ran forward, and dove behind his own car, whereas Snow took cover behind her own. The monkey shook with fear, clinging onto Snow's paw.

"Mr. Wilde! I'm so happy you can join the party!" A coyote's voice was heard in the direction of the office building. Nick peered from behind the car, and was blinded by the light on the roof. But before he did anything, he noticed that all the floors were dark, and saw that the light was coming from the roof. A gunshot was heard, and the fox scrambled back behind cover.

"Can you see him?" Snow called out, holding her rifle.

Nick shook his head.

"This is why we have backup dammit!" Snow yelled. "This is why we have backup Wilde!"

Nick chuckled to himself and shook his head. He looked up from behind his car again. A gunshot was heard, and the bullet whizzed past his ears. The vulpine ducked down immediately and called to his partner. "He's somewhere between the second and sixth story!"

"But I can't see him!"

Wilde looked at the ground, as his mind formulated a plan. _Oh Judy… you would kill me if I did this… But if I die… then that's okay too._ He smiled immediately and looked up at his partner. "When I stand up, stand up with me."

"Are you insane, Wilde?"

Nick slowly nodded his head. "Get used to it, Jennifer!" At that statement, he stood up, exposing his body.

From the darkness of the building, the coyote smiled triumphantly. He took aim with his rifle and fired. He watched as the bullet sailed through the air, and his smile turned to one with anger, as he saw that he misjudged the distance. Instead of hitting Nick's heart, the bullet went several inches higher and the vulpine in the shoulder. The fox fell down to the soft sand with a grunt and the coyote never had the opportunity to correct his mistake.

As Nick stood up, Snow moved around to the other side of the car, making sure she was being shielded. When she saw him fully extend to his height, Snow stood up, and brought the iron sights of the rifle to her eye. The vixen heard a gunshot, and saw a muzzle flash. She breathed softly, moved her gun and fired. The bullet sailed through the air, and hit the coyote in the head, snuffing his life.

Snow gave an exclamation of joy, but her excitement stopped as it came as she remembered Nick. She spun around and rushed to the fallen vulpine. Nick had crawled to the car, clutching his shoulder, as blood seeped through it. "Did you get him?"

"I got him. How bad are you?"

Nick grunted as he removed his paw. "Ah… just a flesh wound."

_I wish I was the one who got him… the things I would do to him... _Nick thought angrily as Snow stepped back to call an ambulance. He heard the young monkey move closer to him and Nick slowly opened his right arm. The monkey leaned in for a hug, and through a tear, whispered, "Thank you."

_Protect and Serve._

Wilde's anger slowly disappeared as Judy's familiar voice entered his mind. "Let's get you home."


	5. Chapter 4:The Lion's Den

Chapter 4: The Lion's Den

_Zootopia – Jennifer Snow's Apartment_

Jennifer Snow threw her covers off of her body with frustration. She rolled to her side, her clear blue eyes blurred with tiredness, searching for the familiar flashing red numbers of her alarm clock.

2:43 am.

Snow groaned, as exhaustion and adrenaline combated each other for control of her body. The artic vixen rolled back to her left side, and shut her eyes. She laid this way for a couple of minutes, and opened her eyes, praying silently to herself that she slept. The veteran cop rolled back to her other side and looked at the clock.

2:54 am.

With an exclamation of defeat, Snow sat up in her bed, rubbing her face. She turned around and got off, her feet looking for a pair of slippers she always kept by the bed. Finally, after putting her comfortable footwear on, the vixen stood up, walked to the window, and watched the silent nightlife of Zootopia. Ever since she moved to the heart of the city, to be closer to Precinct One, the vixen was still amazed at how quiet…. And mysterious, the city was.

_Like Nick Wilde…_ she thought, shaking her head.

The orange vulpine entered her mind, showing off his half smile. His emerald-color eyes glowed through his half-slit eyelids. His Smith and Yakinson M&P9 rested loosely in his holster on his right hip, as his left hand was shoved into his pocket. The green shirt of the fox was half-tucked as usual, as the purple tie was messily made.

Snow shook her head again, sighing. _How am I supposed to help him?_

She thought of her own experience, her own pain. The more she dwelled into her memories, her body clenched, and her teeth gritted, emitting a low growl from her throat. Snapping back to the present, the veteran cop took several deep breaths and calmed her racing heart and restless spirit.

_This is the second time Nick put himself into danger…. The next time, he may not be so lucky._

The cop couldn't believe how careless the fox was, but was still amazed how he carried himself. If it wasn't for his actions, Snow reckoned, he would probably have the respect of the entire police department. _Scratch that, _she thought. _Nick may be a jerk, but he does gain respect. But how is it that someone who has little care for the rules constantly get results?_

Snow reflected on the events from the bank, the car chase and finally the kidnapper. Realization slowly dawned upon the veteran's cop face, as she remembered her conversation with Chief Bogo, and how Nick had responded when she asked him about his partner.

_He doesn't care, because he doesn't have anything or anyone to lose…_

The vixen smiled victoriously. She finally figured out what was causing her partner to itch. But a frown quickly appeared on her face. _Getting him to open up, will be the hardest thing I have to do. _She sighed again, turned around and crawled into the covers of her bed. But now that she had solved a piece of a case that she was working on, her restless mind was at peace, causing her to fall asleep.

The next morning, Snow woke up to the blaring of her alarm clock, that she had pressed snooze on several times, and the smell of coffee wafting into her bedroom. She smacked her lips, groaning with disgust as she felt how dry her mouth was. She had forgotten to brush her teeth last night, and had fallen into bed immediately. The vixen arose, leaving her covers and pillows in a jumbled mess, walked through the small hallway and entered the kitchen, making a beeline to the coffee maker that was located next to the toaster. The cool air of the morning was blocked by her flannel pajama pants, and her Backstreet Dogs band T-shirt.

Snow grabbed the coffee pot, a mug and started to pour, her nose quivering in anticipation as the delicious aroma filled the kitchen. Next, she reached in the refrigerator, grabbed half-and-half creamer and poured into her coffee, her mind wandering.

_He would have been so…_

Snow shook her head, stopping her thought. She didn't want to go back there again, not now. Not when she has a job to do for the ZPD: handling Nick Wilde. The vixen checked the clock that was flashing on her microwave.

6:10 am.

Snow nodded, she still had some time. She placed her coffee mug down on the counter, walked back to her bedroom, and opened the door to the bathroom. The vixen moved to the tub, where she turned on the water. As she waited for the water to warm up, Snow moved back into her bedroom and opened her closet. Selecting a light purple shirt, dress slacks, a belt, and a dark blue suit jacket. Next, she turned to head back to the shower, but a knock was heard on the door.

The vixen stopped, and held frozen in the bathroom, her ears perked at the sound. _It's 6:15 in the morning… who would it be?_ The veteran cop slowly turned the water off, waiting to hear if a paw would bang against the door.

The door was heard, and Snow looked outside of the bathroom, through the hallway. Cautiously, the vixen walked through the hallway, and into the living room. The knock was heard again, with the same beat and rhythm as the last two. Turning left, the arctic fox inched closer and closer to the door.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Snow yelped with fright. Two masked animals rushed inside, one holding a pistol, and the other a bag. At the sight of the vixen near the kitchen table, the first criminal swore. "You told me she wouldn't be home!"

The second criminal responded, his voice obviously younger, "She wasn't supposed to be!"

Erasing her surprise, Snow dove to her right out of view. As she scrambled to one of the kitchen cabinets, she heard pawsteps disappearing. Opening the door, the vixen grabbed her hidden weapon, a Colt M1911, and readied it in her hand. Still on her knees, the arctic fox peered around the corner, holding her gun out and ready, only to be greeted by silence.

She sighed, and stood up, her heart racing and body covered with sweat. The vixen headed into the living room, grabbed her cellphone from the couch, and dialed a number.

"Go for Wilde," a tired voice entered the line.

"This is Snow."

"Yes, I know, Jennifer. There's a thing called a 'caller's-ID'." Nick spoke, with a trace of sass entering his voice, "You should look it up."

"Shut up, Nick" Snow responded, getting a tired laugh from the vulpine, "I'd like to make a police report."

The fox was silent for a couple of seconds. "What do you mean? Are you okay?"

Snow nodded to herself, "I'm fine. A bunch of hooligans decided to break in. One of them sounded young… maybe a teenager?" Snow paused as her heart ached at the prospect of a kid in a life of crime. "Anyways, they thought that I wasn't home. When they saw me, they scurried off."

The vixen could hear shuffling and small cursing in the background. Finally, Nick responded, "Stay put. I'm on my way."

"Don't, Nick." Snow responded. "You got shot yesterday. I just wanted to update you."

"What kind of partner would I be, if I weren't there?" Nick asked. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine."

Snow smiled, as she heard a small groan of pain erupt from the vulpine as he tried to put on a shirt. "See you in a few. Looks like we have a job to do."

The line went dead, and the arctic vixen closed her phone. She tossed it into her pocket, grabbed her coffee and walked towards the couch, ignoring the splintered remnants that was her door, lying on the ground. She took a small sip of her, now slightly cooled, cup and sat on the furniture. The sun peeked its orangey face from behind the horizon, as the vixen awaited for the arrival of her partner.

_Zootopia – Nick Wilde's trailer_

The phone rang, for several minutes, causing Nick to open his eyes. His paw reached up and automatically groped the table next to him, searching for the annoying device. Feeling the familiar outline of the phone, Nick grabbed it, rolled on his back, pushing his blanket away and looked at the screen. When he saw who it was, he rolled his eyes, _why can't she leave me alone? It's freaking 6:00 in the morning!_

Nick cleared his voice, and pressed answer, "Go for Wilde,"

"This is Snow."

"Yes, I know, Jennifer. There's a thing called a 'caller's-ID'." Nick spoke with a half-smile on his face. He was starting to enjoy teasing her. "You should look it up."

"Shut up, Nick" Snow responded, getting a tired laugh from the vulpine. Nick groaned softly with pain, as he twisted his arm to get an inkling of comfort. He turned his attention back to the phone when he heard, "I'd like to make a police report."

Confusion went across his face, as the vulpine sat up slightly. "What do you mean? Are you okay?"

There was a pause. "I'm fine. A bunch of hooligans decided to break in. One of them sounded young… maybe a teenager?" Nick sat, unspeaking as Snow stopped for a couple of seconds. "Anyways, they thought that I wasn't home. When they saw me, they scurried off."

Nick sat up immediately, and rolled off the couch, his athletic feet hitting the floor, as the vulpine stood up. He walked to where he threw his shirt, momentarily tripping over an empty beer bottle. The fox muttered a curse and picked up the green shirt. "Stay put. I'm on my way."

"Don't, Nick." Snow responded. "You got shot yesterday. I just wanted to update you."

"What kind of partner would I be, if I weren't there?" Nick asked. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine."

Nick balanced his phone between his ear and shoulder as he raised his wounded arm. As he put it through a sleeve, the fox groaned with pain. Finally, Snow responded, "See you in a few. Looks like we have a job to do."

The vulpine rolled his eyes, and without a word, hung up the phone. He tossed them on the couch as he finished buttoning his shirt. His emerald eyes searched the floor for his slightly clean pants, and upon locating them, he pulled them up. As he did, he heard a small _clank_ as a small bottle escaped the wrapped confines of his jeans. Nick pulled up his zipper, and slowly knelt down, picking up the clear bottle.

It was empty.

Nick shook his head. _Wasn't this full?_ He licked his lips as nervousness started to build up inside of him. As his tongue went around his lips, the vulpine recoiled at a strange sensation. He smacked his lips, trying to remember what it was. _What did I do last night?_

An idea entered the vulpine's mind. He immediately grabbed his phone off his desk, swiped the screen until he found an app called "AnimalAway" and pressed it. The app opened, revealing a tiny, nearly invisible, camera that Nick had installed above his couch. Even though he had sold most of his things, Nick still wanted to make sure that his possessions were still protected.

The fox pressed on a rewind button, and he waited until he remembered a moment. Once he saw himself enter the trailer, the vulpine pressed pause, and then play as he watched himself replay the evening before. He had opened the door to the trailer, walked inside and closed it behind him. Then he went straight the refrigerator and grabbed two beer bottles. Unscrewing one, Nick took a deep draft, placed it on the counter and took the second one and placed it on his shoulder. A small groan erupted from the video, as the cold beer made contact with the wound.

The vulpine walked to the couch and sat down, the beer bottle still on his shoulder. He sighed, and placed it on the couch next to him and sat in silence for a couple of seconds. Finally, the cop stood back up, patted his pants to make sure it was empty before taking it off to get ready for bed. Next, he patted his shirt, and paused as he felt a bump in his pocket. Reaching inside, the vulpine pulled out the vial. This time, the vial was full of clear liquid.

"Now… what is this?" Nick heard himself mutter in the video. The fox put his hand on his chin and leaned closer, watching what he did. In the video, Wilde unscrewed the bottle and took a small sniff. "I could take this to the lab…" the vulpine shrugged to himself. "Here's to you, Judy."

He took a drink out of the vial, downing all of the liquid in one go. Nick shook his head with disappointment, wishing that he had taken a little for evidence. But he knew that he was shot, and wasn't thinking clearly due to the pain… _But that's not a good excuse, Wilde! Idiot!_

As the vulpine watched the video, he saw himself take off his shirt and throw it on the table. He dropped the vial on the top of his discarded jeans. Suddenly, the vulpine started to sway, while moving backwards. "Oh, shhhh…" a small curse started to escape his mouth as he crashed against the couch, oblivious to the world around him.

Nick paused the video as his analytical mind started to race. He looked down at the vial and connected the dots. _That buck…. He had the vial and he was part of this… gang. He must have been the one who shot me. I need to go back to the ZPD and have the lab run tests on this_.

Pleased with the results that he found, Nick closed the app, placed his phone in his pocket and started to head to the door. He opened it, stepped out, changed his mind, and went back inside. He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of vodka. Then, opening the cabinet, Nick grabbed a flask. He poured the vodka into the flask and before screwing the lid back on, Nick took a quick drink.

As the warm alcohol went down his throat, the pain in his shoulder eased. Nick smiled grimly, _nature's first medicine_, he thought, putting the bottle away. As he did, Judy immediately entered his mind, shaking her head with disappointment. Pushing her away, the fox grabbed his car keys and headed outside to his beloved Mustang.

As he walked towards his car, his phone rang. A quick look at it revealed a single name: Abby W. The vulpine smiled with anticipation, as he pressed answer. "Please tell me you found something."

"Good morning to you too!" a female voice with a tinge of a southern drawl, entered the line. "It doesn't hurt to say good morning, every once in a while, Nick."

The vulpine sighed with exasperation, causing the female to giggle. "Good morning, Abby. Now do you have something for me?"

Nick heard the keyboard to the computer clacking as there was a pause. Finally, Abby responded. "Yup! After you came into the ZPD last night after…. You know… you getting shot and all that. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Abby. You were saying?"

"I mean," Abby continued, ignoring the vulpine. "My uncle accidentally shot hisself in the foot with a nail gun. He was out of commission for a week!" Nick flinched as her southern accent stretched week while emphasizing it.

"Abby…"

"And so, he was in the hospital, complaining about the hospital food. We went to see him every week, to bring him real food. Peach cobblers are his favorite dessert, doncha know!"

"Abby!" Nick interrupted with annoyance in his voice. "Please get to the point!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Abby giggled nervously. "Anyways, you gave me the lion fur, and I ran it. The results just came back. This specific lion you are looking for lives in Tundratown."

"Tundratown?" Nick wondered, "Lions don't live in the snow."

"Well, this one does."

"Abby, are you sure about this? Wouldn't the fur belong to any lion out there?"

"Technically, yes. It's impossible to zero on which specific lion this fur belongs to as all animals of the same specie share the same DNA set, as you know. But what I do is that I use the HPC machine to isolate the cellular strand that react in certain environments, search the DNA strands and see which repeatedly appear."

"Abby…"

"Yes?"

"Dumb it down for me. Explain it to me like I'm a first-grader."

"Oh… I used a camera to look inside the fur and see where…. The lion lives?"

"Thank you Abby. That makes more sense. So, Tundratown, huh? Can you search through the database and see whether…"

"Or not the DNA matches?" Abby finished. "Way ahead of you, Mistah Wilde. This specific fur matches to a…. Duke Matthews. Unfortunately, I don't have his address.

Nick muttered a small curse. "Thank you, Abs." The fox moved his phone away from his ear, ready to hang up.

"But Nick…"

Nick was silent, prompting Abby to continue.

"Does Chief Bogo know about this? I know, when you came in, you said it was for the Judy investigation…. But something doesn't feel right."

"Yeah." Nick lied. "Don't worry, he told me to bring it right to you."

Abby gave a sigh of relief. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Abby."

The phone went silence, and Nick placed it in his pocket. Instead of heading to the car, he turned around and walked back inside of this trailer. He moved towards the couch and threw the cushions down to the ground. Inside the couch, a brown bag was seen. Grabbing the handles, the vulpine lifted it up and threw it around his shoulder, the pain not registering.

The fox spun around, and with a whistle, kicked the door behind him close as he walked towards his car. _I'm getting close, Carrots… I'm getting close._

_Zootopia – Jennifer Snow's Apartment_

The vixen sat on the couch, patiently waiting for her partner to show up. Finally, she couldn't take the sitting around anymore. So she stood up, went into the bedroom and grabbed her clothes. After changing into her selected clothes for the day, the vixen moved back into the living room, where she grabbed her cellphone. A click on her phone revealed that she had one missed call from her partner. Snow pressed a button, and a voice entered her ear,

"Hello, Jennifer."

"Are you on your way, Wilde? I'm getting bored."

"About that… I don't feel very good. I left my place and just started throwing up. I think I am in a worse shape than I thought." There was a pause then Nick asked, "You there?"

Snow nodded, placing a hand on her hip. "Stay home. Get some rest. I can handle this myself."

A sigh of relief was heard. "Thanks, Snow." The line went dead.

The vixen nodded her head, happy that Nick finally decided to listen to her for once. She placed her phone back into her pocket, when realization hit her like lightning. _He listened to me…_ Snow shook her head, pushing the thought aside, attributing it to paranoia. _But in our two days of being partners, he never listened to me…. What is he really up to?_

Snow walked to the front door and looked mournfully at it. She stepped into the hallway and stood facing her apartment. Looking down at both ends of the hallway, the vixen sighed to herself, as there were no cameras. Shaking her head, Snow knelt down and looked at the door. After examining the splintered frame, the vixen determined that there was enough power to force it down, most likely from a kick.

_But something like that would cause a lot of noise._ Snow sighed, then stopped. _Noise!_ The vixen stood back up and went into the hallway. First, she turned left and knocked on the door to the apartment that was next to hers. After a few minutes, the door open and a weary cat appeared from behind.

"Ah! Good morning, Miss Snow!" Mr. Chow beamed. "What can I do for you today?"

"Did you hear a crashing noise this morning? It happened around twenty minutes ago."

Mr. Chow nodded immediately. "I thought it was something to do with you. Like what happened yesterday… but, it was louder than yesterday… so I opened the door to take a look."

"Did you see anything?"

To Snow's disappointment, Chow shook his head. "I only saw that your door was broken down, then I saw you move out of your apartment. So I didn't call the police, on the account of you being one and all…"

Snow smiled and nodded her head. "Thank you, Mr. Chow… by the way, if, hypothetically, you were a robber, would you take the elevator the stairs?"

"The elevator, for sure!" Chow responded. "There are cameras in the stairs, but the one in the elevator is broken. I've been complaining to the manager for weeks now, but they've done nothing at all!"

Snow beamed. After saying her goodbyes, the vixen walked back to her apartment. She made her way to the kitchen counter, where a cup full of pencils sat in the corner, between the refrigerator and the wall. She grabbed the sharpest pencil she could find, and then moved into the bedroom. When arriving in the bedroom, she searched among the desk in front of her bed, and found a roll of clear tape. Finally, the vixen moved into the bathroom and grabbed a large blush brush from her makeup bag.

When she had her supplies, Snow went back to the kitchen and went to work. Since she didn't have any sandpaper or something coarse to rub the pencil led, Snow elected to use a small knife. It took a while, but after shaving the majority of the pencil, the vixen was happy to see that a small amount of lead powder littered the bowl.

Once she was done making her powder, Snow grabbed a small Tupperware container out of her cabinet, to serve as an evidence bag. The vixen exited her apartment, turned left and hurried down the hall. She arrived at the elevator and knelt down. Dipping her brush into the powder, Snow gently dusted the outside of the elevator button. Disappointment overcame her excitement, as nothing was revealed. She stood back up, pressed the button on the elevator and waited.

Once the doors opened, the veteran cop stepped inside, turned around and knelt again. _If I was a criminal after a botched robbery, do I leave immediately?_

Her eyes searched and found the letter "P" for Parking Garage. Again, she dipped her blush brush in to the powder and dusted it over the button. Nothing appeared, and the vixen grunted with frustration. She looked up at the button over the one she dusted and berated herself. _Of course! They don't have access to the parking garage. So where would they park? On the street level._

She felt the elevator move down, so the vixen worked quickly. As sweat rolled down her forehead, Snow dipped the brush into the powder and lifted it, carefully moving it in a small circle. After she was done, she beamed with victory, as one print was revealed.

_Bingo!_

She grabbed her tape and unrolled it. Pressing it against the button, Snow made sure that the finger print was displayed. The vixen pulled the tape off and smiled again, as there were no disturbances to it. The cop grabbed the Tupperware and opened it. She placed the tape inside of it and screwed it close. Placing it underneath her armpit, Snow grabbed the tape and brush and held both items in her right paw. She stood up, as the elevator opened, revealing a young panther. Snow stood aside, as the panther nodded a greeting. Changing her mind at the last minute, Snow stepped out and made a beeline to the front door, with the thought of going to the main office in order to gain a video from the cameras of the building. As she stepped outside, something caught the corner of her eye.

The vixen turned around and looked at the hedge, which decorated the front of the building. The top of the hedge was straight, but to the back of it, Snow could easily see a small indentation. To most animals, the indentation would look like the gardener had made a mistake in trimming the hedge, but Snow was not most animals: she was a veteran cop. The vixen placed her things down on the floor and jumped.

Her feet hit the barky ground as the hedge threatened to consume her. Ignoring the sticks that poked her through the shirt, the vixen made her way to the depression. Once she arrived at the oddity in the hedge, Snow reached down, her paws searching for something familiar. Her fingers felt handles, and Snow adjusted her body, leaning heavily into the hedge, and pulled it out.

It was a black bag, the same bag that Snow had seen earlier that morning. She smiled with victory. Lifting the bag over her head, the vixen made her way back to the stairs. The artic fox tossed the bag over the railing and climbed up onto the stairs. Once she regained her footing, Snow knelt down and unzipped the bag.

The bag was empty and Snow moved it around, feeling the insides, making sure she didn't miss anything. Finally, she fished her phone out of her pocket, turned on the flashlight and shone inside the bag. After a few minutes of searching, Snow was ready to give up, but decided to try one more time. As she did, she flipped the inside of the bag out, and looked closely, searching for any clue. When she moved the bag to one side, a piece of fur fell out, catching her eye. Snow beamed with pride, as she picked up the fur with her gloved hand and inspected it, understanding why she missed it in the first place. _It's black… the same color as the bag._

The veteran cop held onto the fur in her left paw as she slung the bag over her left shoulder and transferred the items back to her right paw. _After I drop these off, I'll go see management, _she thought as she entered the building.

_Zootopia – Tundratown _

Nick Wilde pulled the collar to his coat upwards, protecting his neck from the freezing wind. Leaning against his Mustang, the fox blew into his hands, urging them to become warmer. He sighed, and pushed away from his car as he trudged through the snow towards the large building looming in front of him. The howling wind blew, as Nick flattened his ears, ignoring the flurries of snow that flashed across his face. He reached the door, and raised a fist, hesitating for a minute. _I need his help._

With that in mind, the fox brought his hand down on the door, its knocks echoing through the building. After a couple of minutes, the door opened, revealing a polar bear in a suit and tie. Without a word, the bear stepped aside, letting the fox inside the small, dimly lit, hallway. Grateful to be out of the cold, Wilde took off his jacket and held it loosely over his arm. The polar bear gestured the fox towards a room, and Nick nodded his thanks.

The hallway led into a large room, where a roaring fire resided on the far side of the chamber. Nick stepped inside, and felt the warmth crawl into his skin, fighting the cold. Knowing where to go, the vulpine walked towards a huge desk in front of him and waited. He looked down, and gulped nervously, as he hated standing in that exact spot. _Judy… Do you remember?_

His thought was cut off when a door opened to his right. A large polar bear walked inside, towards the desk and sat down in the large chair. He placed his hands on the desk, opened it, revealing Nick's greatest ally and enemy.

"Nick Wilde!" Mr. Big exclaimed, smiling. "What brings you here? Have you come to sell me another rug made of a skunk's" he paused for a second, "butt?"

The shrew opened his arms, and Nick obliged. The fox leaned in and both exchanged kisses on the cheek, and the vulpine stepped back.

"Actually, I'm here for…"

"I should ice you, Wilde." Mr. Big growled suddenly.

"What? Why?"

"Because you didn't invite me to Judy's funeral…. Judy, the godmother to my Fru Fru's child… Bless her soul."

"About that…" Nick started.

"At least she's with Grandmama, now." Out of the corner of Nick's eye, a polar bear next to the portrait of Grandmama touched his forehead and brought his paw down to his chest and moved it to the left, and finally the right. _Why do they always do that when he mentions Grandmama?_ Nick thought.

"Mr. Big, sir, I respectfully ask that you don't ice me."

"Why?"

"Because there was no funeral to be had. The ZPD immediately had her body sent home for burial. Her parents didn't want to have one. But if they did, I wasn't invited."

Mr. Big paused, reading the vulpine before him. Slowly, he nodded, "What brings you here?"

"I need your help tracking down someone."

"And why do you think I know this animal?"

Wilde smiled. "Because with your," Nick made air quotes with his paws, "_legitimate_ businesses, you know everyone in Tundratown."

"Yes… that is true." Mr. Big nodded slowly. "Who is this animal?"

Nick pulled out his phone and showed it to the shrew. Mr. Big leaned in closely, studying this picture. "Yes… I know this lion. Duke Matthews."

"Do you have an address?"

Mr. Big nodded. "I do… but alas, I cannot help you."

Shock was evident on the vulpine's face as his stomach rolled with anger. The fox clenched his hand and slammed it against the table, causing the shrew's chair to rattle. At the sudden movement, the polar bear stood up, emitting a warning growl. "Why not?" Nick spoke, his face a mask of fury.

A loud snap by Mr. Big's tiny fingers, caused the polar bear to stop, and resume back to sitting down. "Because with my," Mr. Big imitated Nick's air quotes, "_legitimate_ businesses, this Duke works for me. I cannot help you."

"Even if he killed Judy?"

Mr. Big's sympathetic smile turned into a frown. "What did you say?"

"You heard me, you sniveling shrew. He killed the godmother to your Fru Fru's child."

Mr. Big leaned back into his chair, stroking his chin, his eyes closed. "I need to think about this, my child."

"There's nothing to think about!" a female voice screeched. Both Nick and Mr. Big looked over and saw a female shrew holding a small baby run across the desk. "You, Mr. Wilde, need to find Duke!"

"My, dear…" Mr. Big started.

"And you!" Fru Fru turned around, facing her father, her voice becoming higher which started to hurt Nick's ears. "Duke killed somebody from _our _family and all you have to say is 'I need to think about this? _I need to think about this?_'"

"No." Fru Fru continued, pacing back and forth in front of her father. "You always said that we took care of family. Judy was our family." She stopped and pointed backwards at the fox. "Nick _is_ our family! The least you can do is have him ki…" the daughter looked back at the expressionless vulpine before continuing. "I mean… remove him out of the picture." When she was done with her tangent, the female shrew turned around and smiled sadly at the vulpine. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. Judy was a wonderful friend."

Nick bowed his head with thanks and looked back at the shrew's father. Mr. Big continued to stroke his chin. After a couple of minutes of silence, the shrew mafia boss leaned forward in his chair and folded his hands. "What my daughter speaks is true. We always care for family. Grandmama…"

The vulpine looked quickly at the polar bear. Like clockwork, the bear did the same sign. Smiling on the inside, he looked back at the shrew as he continued, "… and that's why I will help you." Mr. Big leaned back into his chair, "But I need one thing from you. Where is your evidence that Duke is one to blame?"

"Daddy!" Fru Fru exclaimed.

A false expression of hurt flashed across Nick's face as he placed his right paw over his heart. "You don't trust me to do my homework?"

Mr. Big spread his hands apart. "If I let you go get Duke, my business takes a hit. If it turns out that Duke is the wrong man, then I will have no choice to go after you."

Nick nodded his head, understanding Mr. Big's predicament. But he couldn't help and have the last word, "But I thought that a crime lord…" Mr. Big shot him a look, causing the vulpine to stop midsentence. He raised his paws and did the air quotes again, "I mean, _legitimate businessman_, didn't need evidence to ki… I mean _remove_, their competitors?"

Mr. Big was silent for a couple of seconds, then he did something that no one expected. He laughed. Squeals of laughter echoed through the big room as the small shrew couldn't handle himself. After a few minutes of laughing, Mr. Big stopped immediately. "Alright, Mr. Wilde… I'll give you this favor. But I need you to do me a favor."

"Daddy!" Fru Fru exclaimed again.

"Quid pro quo, my child. I do for you and you do for me." After Nick nodded, Mr. Big continued, "I want Korzo to go with you. He will be my eyes and ears and will tell me if you are being truthful. Korzo?"

The polar bear near Grandmama moved and stood next to Mr. Big. "Go with Mr. Wilde, here, and make sure he carries out the plan that he has."

Korzo nodded silently. Nick bowed quickly, kissed Fru Fru on the cheeks, turned around and left the room, with the giant polar bear lumbering in tow.

/

_Zootopia – Zootopia Police Department_

Jennifer Snow walked inside the bright lobby of the ZPD, with a huge box full of video tapes. Unfortunately, the apartment building she was in did not have much in technology, so she had to get all the video on tapes. After being yelled at by the vixen, the manager promised to upgrade their security. When she left, Snow rolled her eyes at the prospect of having to sit at her desk and scour the video, searching for her target. Nodding her hello to Clawhauser, the artic vixen turned to her right and headed to the elevator. She hit the button with her hip, and the elevator door opened with a resounding _ding._

With her elbow, the fox hit a button, marked "B" and the doors closed immediately. The elevator went down, as the soft tunes of Gazelle's music wafted through. Once the elevator arrived, the doors opened in front of the veteran cop, revealing a hallway with different rooms.

Glass windows showed what the inside of each room looked like. Different animals with lab coats hurried to and fro, carrying different evidence that needed to be sifted through and inspected. Snow left the elevator, searching for an available CSI technician. The arctic fox wandered through the hallway, and she turned around a corner and saw a large room, full of machines she had never seen.

"Can I help you, sweetie?" a female voice with a southern drawl spoke behind her.

Snow whirled with surprise. Standing before her was a wombat, dressed in a white lab coat, with the biggest pair of glasses she has ever seen. "Um, yeah…" Snow stammered. "This is my first time here. Which CSI technician do I give these too?"

The wombat smiled, as she looked through her spectacles. "Arctic fox… first time here… you must be Jennifer Snow!" She held out a small hand, and Snow accepted it. "I'm Abby. Usually, I'm the go to technician for Hopps and Wilde. But now with you being Wilde's partner, you'll go to me!"

Snow nodded, shocked at the amount of energy the wombat had. "Pleasure to meet you, Abby." As soon as she spoke, the wombat spun around and motioned for her to follow. After going through sever twists and turns, Abby led the officer into another room, full of different machines that Snow had never seen. In the room was a table, and Snow placed the small box on the furniture. The arctic vixen dug inside and pulled out the Tupperware container and black fur that she had moved to a small sandwich bag.

"I need you to run this print and this fur. Let me know if they match."

"And what about those?" Abby pointed to the tapes.

"Oh… Something I just have to do while I wait for the results."

Abby nodded, understanding. As a CSI technician, she was content with doing the science work in the basement as it contained here boundless energy. But with the amount of energy she had, she lacked the patience for it. So Abby was happy that she didn't have to help by sitting down and scouring the videos with the new transfer.

Instead, she grabbed the Tupperware container and the sandwich bag. Carefully she lifted the tape out of the container and looked through it in front of the light. Nodding with surprise, she spoke "This is one of the best homemade fingerprinting kit I have ever seen!" The wombat walked to a machine and pressed the tape down on the screen. A green light emitted a small glow and the computer next to it started to scan for matches.

Next, Abby walked to a different machine, one that had a huge microscope hovering over it. She took the fur, placed it under the lens and peered through it. After a couple of adjustments, the wombat took pictures of the fur, and printed them out. Once she grabbed the paper from the printer, Abby walked back to the computer and typed in words that Snow had never heard before. Finally, she pressed enter and just like the computer for the fingerprint, the screen flashed, searching the database for a match.

Snow was amazed at how efficient the wombat worked… and how quickly. "How long have you been working here?"

"About the same time as Mistah Wilde. That was what… two years ago?" Abby paused, thinking for a moment, "Yeah… that sounds about right."

"Working with Nick, what was he like?"

Abby looked at Snow through her spectacles. "Before or after he changed?"

"Both… I guess. What happened?"

The wombat sighed. "That's something you would have to ask. But anyways… Nick… he was full of joy, always had a joke, always a prankster. But after the tragedy involving his partner, he's changed. I haven't seen him with a smile on his face recently."

"Really? He's smiling plenty now."

"Oh? That's good. But when Nick is working, he has that steely voice. That voice of determination and when he turns it on, you know to never cross him."

Snow nodded, knowing what the wombat meant, after witnessing her partner in action the previous night. After she nodded, Abby continued. "But there was something weird."

"What?"

"When I called him… he sounded excited. Like… he was onto something."

_Why did Nick have her call him?_ Snow pondered. She then asked that same question immediately. Abby looked at the veteran cop with a quizzical look on her face. "He said it was for Judy's case. He said that Bogo gave him the go-ahead. He's out there looking for the suspect."

Abby saw the officer's expression change as the cop asked, "Judy?"

The wombat sighed. "His old partner. I cannot tell you anymore. But the lion fur that he found yesterday came through the database. He's looking for him right now. Did he tell you this?"

_Nick…. What did you get yourself into?_ The vixen looked at the CSI technician and nodded. "Yeah. He called me." She paused, and continued, "I just remembered… I have to go help him now. Will you let me know when you get the results?"

The wombat nodded. "Do you want me to text you or the first officer available?"

Snow pondered for a minute. Finally she decided, "Just text me. This is my case and I need to see it through." At that sentence, Snow nodded her head with thanks and the wombat raised a hand, saying goodbye. The officer left the room and went back the way she came from. After a couple of minutes of walking through the maze-like hallways and corridors, she arrived at the elevator. After getting in, Snow went back up to the first floor and made a beeline to Benjamin Clawhauser's desk.

"Clawhauser!" She spoke with a loud voice, startling the obese cheetah. The desk sergeant turned and saw a frantic Snow hurrying towards him.

"Miss Snow! Is everything…"

"I need to find Nick," the arctic vixen interrupted. "Find him for me now."

Clawhauser read her expression and heard her tone in her voice. He nodded and turned around to his computer. He pulled up the GPS map of all the vehicles that each ZPD officer owned. Then the cheetah typed in Nick's name and all the dots on the map disappeared, except for one. "He's in Tundratown." Clawhauser said, turning the computer screen for Snow. The fox leaned in and committed the address to memory and turned around. As she walked away, Clawhauser called after her "What's he up to?"

"That's what I intend to find out."

When the doors swung shut behind the officer, the cheetah leaned back into his chair and sighed. The friendly face of the orange vulpine entered his mind. _Nick… What did you do now?_

/

_Zootopia – Duke Matthews' House_

Duke Matthews reached over to the coffee table and grabbed a pretzel out of the bowl. He popped it into his mouth as he switched the channel on the TV to different shows. _Boring… Already seen it… Boring…_

A knock was heard on the door and the lion twisted his head. Through the curtained window, he could see two large shadows looming outside. The lion sighed, stood up and walked to the door. Upon arriving, he opened the door, speaking, "Tell Mr. Big that I will see him in two days. I don't have time ton…"

He was cut off as a large paw, in the form of a fist smashed against the side of his jaw. Duke crashed against the floor, as a small pool of blood slowly seeped out of his open mouth.

Nick stood above the body with shock. He turned and looked at Korza, who was shaking his paw and standing at attention. "Woah, big guy. I don't need to kill him yet."

Korza merely stared at the fox without an expression on his face. Finally, he spoke, his deep voice rumbling, "I've never liked him anyways."

The vulpine gave a small laugh. "Get him up. Take him to the chair and tie him up. When you're done, I want you to stand guard at the door. Let me know if anyone is coming."

The polar bear nodded and obeyed Nick's command. In a few minutes, he had Duke tied up in a chair in the middle of the kitchen. As he did, Nick walked to the dining room table and set down his duffel bag. Unzipping the bag, the fox reached in and pulled out several tools and laid them on the table, his heart racing with excitement. He then reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of latex gloves. Putting them on, he slowed his breathing to calm his eager nature. _This is for you Judy… I'm almost there. I'm so close._

Korzo turned and left the kitchen and went to stand guard near the front door. Whistling with joy, the fox walked closer to the lion and circled around him for a bit. Out of the corner of his eye, Nick saw his ear twitch, showing that he was slowly regaining consciousness. He stopped whistling pulled out another chair, flipped it around and sat on it in reverse. The vulpine grabbed the Gerbil 06 Auto Knife and flipped it open. The sharp metallic _swish _of the knife was heard, bringing a grim smile to the face of the vulpine. After waiting for a couple of seconds, the fox made his move. He flipped the knife around until he was holding the handle and stabbed downward into the fleshy leg of the lion.

Duke roared with pain, his eyes bulging and slowly filling with tears. He looked down at the knife protruding out of his right leg. An unfamiliar voice entered through his ears. "Hurts huh? Don't worry. I stabbed you in just the right place as I missed the main artery, but you're not going to be walking around for a few days."

Duke slowly looked up to see the orange vulpine sitting in the chair across from him, his arms folded around the furniture. "Who… who are you?" he groaned with pain.

"You really don't remember?" Nick asked. "Zassy's Zebra."

The lion slowly looked up and down at the fox. Realization dawned on his face and he slowly chuckled. "You were there…" he groaned. "You were with that slut of a bunny." A stinging sensation flashed across his cheek as Nick's palm made contact. The lion felt his head jerk to the right, and recognized the familiar feeling of blood. He spat out blood onto the kitchen floor next to him and leaned back, chuckling softly. "First of all, you hit like a bunny. Secondly, you're a cop. You can't do this to me."

Nick smiled, but there was no humor in it. He turned around and opened his jacket. "Do you see a badge? Because I don't. Which means… I can do whatever I want to you and you will give me what I am looking for."

"What's that?"

"Who you're working for. I also want the one who killed Judy. And I want to know…" Nick moved in closer, fury erupting from his voice as he boiled with anger, "_why you killed her!"_ He roared the last sentence out, spittle flying out of his mouth.

The lion chuckled again. "Why do you think I'll tell you?"

In a flash, Nick pulled the knife out of his leg and shoved it through his shoulder, twisting it as he did. Blood rolled out of his skin and seeped into his shirt from the wound. Duke bellowed with pain, as Nick pushed the knife down to the hilt. Panting heavily, the fox walked back to the chair and sat down. "You ready to tell me?"

Duke shook his head, panting. "I can't… I tell, they will kill me."

"You don't tell, I'll kill you."

The lion sighed with agony. "You're going to kill me anyways… I can tell."

The vulpine shook his head and got out of his chair again. He walked to a different room, leaving Duke to whimper in pain, as he felt blood wet his leg and shoulder. Nick returned in a couple of seconds, holding something in his hand. The lion felt a cold hand of fear grip his heart as he saw what it was. "You wouldn't…" the lion stammered. "Please… please don't."

Nick flipped the item around, revealing that it was a picture. A lioness and a young lion cub was shown. "You don't tell me… then I will find them and bring them back here." Nick leaned in and whispered without remorse, "And you will watch, and feel the _same_ way I felt when I saw her die. Alone… helpless… Guilt."

"Please… Don't touch my family."

Nick turned and threw the picture against the wall, hearing the glass shatter as the frame broke. "Then help me Dukie, boy. I want the ones who you work for."

"I… I can't."

Nick sighed. He leaned back and grabbed a different knife. Unsheathing it out of its cover, the steel blade shone in the kitchen light. He looked at it and flipped it over. "Hold this for me please?" The vulpine shoved it down into the left leg of the lion, pushing it to the hilt.

Duke yelled with pain, his eyes rolling back momentarily as unconsciousness threatened to take over him. At the last minute, the lion shook his head and turned his attention back to Nick. "Fine… Fine… I'll tell you."

The vulpine sat, his face expressionless as the lion started to explain. "I don't know their names. They never told us. But I'm in an organization called the Silver Clan. There are many of us low ranking members, but the bosses? They are the ones you want to go for. But the problem is… I don't know what they look like, and I don't know their names. All I know is that there are five animals in charge. They have a plan for the city… but the plan… that I don't know."

Duke looked past Nick and onto the fallen picture of his family. Nick sighed and stood up. "I don't believe you." The vulpine said with a cold voice. "I think you know more than you were letting on."

He grabbed a crowbar, and walked towards the lion. The metallic tool smashed against Duke's face, causing the lion to spit out a tooth. "Why did she need to die?"

Duke rolled his attention back to the angry fox. "Truthfully? Because the two of you were a threat. We wanted to eliminate one of you, so the other wouldn't be one…" the lion chuckled evilly. "Looks like the plan worked. With the ZPD so focused on you and your issues, they haven't been paying attention to us."

Nick flipped the crowbar again and smashed it against the other side of the lion. Duke's eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness. Breathing heavily with adrenaline, the fox tossed the crowbar on the table, with a resounding _clank_. The vulpine turned his attention back to the lion and saw that he was wearing a jacket. _Maybe…_

Wilde walked closer, and keeping an eye on the unconscious animal, his paw searched inside the jacket. He felt a familiar shape, grabbed it and pulled it out. It was a card with a silver wolf imprinted on it. _He's telling the truth…_ Putting the card into his pocket, the vulpine turned around and walked away from the lion, rubbing his face. _Oh Judy…_

He looked aside and saw Korza look back at him without an expression. "You heard him right? Tell Mr. Big that he killed Judy."

Korza only nodded, causing Nick to breathe a sigh of relief. At least he didn't have to worry about Mr. Big going after him again.

A groan was heard from the lion and Nick turned his attention back to him. The vulpine walked back to the kitchen table, where he selected a hammer. Holding the hammer loosely in his paw, Wilde heard a whisper escape from the mouth of the lion. Nick walked closer and leaned in, wondering what he had to say.

"Judy was a whore." Duke chuckled, spitting blood on his face.

Nick walked to the kitchen sink, and turned on the water, washing the blood off his face. He turned it off and walked back to the bag, tossing the hammer into it. Next he grabbed a pistol, turned it around and aimed it at the lion. "Apologize."

"For what? You failing to help her?"

That set the vulpine off. He flipped the pistol over and smashed the butt of it into his right eye repeatedly. Within a few seconds, his right eye was swollen shut, and Nick stepped back breathing heavily, his paw shaking with rage. Before he did anything, he reached in and pulled both knives out of his body. The lion bellowed with pain, as Nick tossed them into the bag. He levelled the pistol on the lion again, his finger hovering in front of the trigger.

"Do it." Duke challenged.

Nick stood, unmoving. Suddenly, in a flash, the lion was out of his bonds and sprung forward, his claws unsheathed. Nick jumped out of the way, but was too late, a piece of claw slicing his left arm. The fox groaned with pain, as he felt his bullet wound move due to the jump. Immediately, the lion turned around and was on top of him, with Nick on the floor. Duke used his left elbow to punch the vulpine in the face, but only grazed his cheek as Nick skillfully dodged at the last minute. The lion changed tactics and pressed his paw onto the shoulder, and Nick yelled with pain, loosening his grip on the pistol.

Duke grabbed the pistol and stood back up. It was at this moment that Korza rushed in, his own gun drawn and aimed at the lion. Duke kept the gun trained at the vulpine, a challenge in his eye. Korza kept the pistol trained at the lion. Finally, the lion took a step back, looked at Nick and spoke, his voice clear and unafraid, "The Silver Clan will win."

He moved the pistol and before Korza could do anything, the lion put the weapon on his temple and pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the house, and the lion crumbled into a heap. With shock on his face, Nick slowly stood up and staggered towards the lion. He reached down and picked up the gun from his hand and stared at it. After a few seconds, he turned and looked at the polar bear, his voice cracking with grief. "It was supposed to be me…" _Oh Judy… I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry._ "Judy is the better part of me…." He looked at Duke, anger in his voice. "_You should have killed me!"_ Nick wailed, tears streaming down his face as the vulpine sunk down to his knees.

He heard Korza move closer to him. The polar bear placed a paw on his shoulder and spoke, his rumbling voice echoing. "You need to go. Mr. Big has personally told me to clean this up. I will make sure to leave the body, but leave no trace of evidence that you or I was ever here."

Nick looked at the polar bear and slowly nodded. He tossed the gun into the bag, turned around, walked through the house and went to the front door. Before exiting, he looked at the lion, his eyes red with tears, then left, shutting the door behind him.

_I should have died, Judy… Not you… You were a better animal than me. If anything… I deserved to die._

Nick entered his car, pulled it out of the driveway and drove.

_I can't take it anymore, Judy… I can't _

Within an hour, he was back at the trailer. The vulpine turned off his car and slammed the door shut and entered his house. He made his way back to the opened couch and pulled his own gun out of his holster. Sinking down to the floor, with tears streaming down his face, Nick cocked the gun, and put the barrel in his mouth. He sighed and started to count down from three.

Three…

_Judy… I'm going to be there soon._

The picture of the bunny entered his mind, her hand opened and welcoming. Nick smiled at the thought.

Two…

_We will be together forever._

One…

A knock was heard, pulling Nick out of his thought. The vulpine slowly took the gun out of his mouth and held it loosely in his paw. He closed the couch and put the cushions back on the furniture. The vulpine slowly walked to the window, and pulled the curtains back. At the sight of the familiar car that was parked next to him, Nick sighed with relief, putting the gun back in his holster. He opened the door with what he hoped was a smile, but it disappeared immediately as he was greeted by an angry Jennifer Snow.


	6. Chapter 5: Lies of the Past

Chapter 5: Lies of the Past

**Author's Note: Well, this took me a while to write and even longer to edit, and I am not a great editor. I hoped that I delivered on emotion, and action as we continued to explore Snow and Wilde's relationship. Also, I just wanted to let you know that classes started up this week, so I am balancing school with work, which means that writing will be placed in the backburners. But when I have off time, I will continue to work. I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave a review!**

_Zootopia – Unknown Source_

I messed up tonight  
I lost another fight  
I still mess up but I'll just start again  
I keep falling down  
I keep on hitting the ground  
I always get up now to see what's next  
Birds don't just fly  
They fall down and get up  
Nobody learns without getting it won….

The song played softly in the background as the figure sat on the laid on their bed, in the dark and dusky motel room. In the distance, they could hear the traffic roar outside as Zootopia teemed with life, and the gentle _drip, drip_ emitting from the faucet in the bathroom. The stranger sighed, and rolled over their back, eyes closed, but ears perked upwards, half listening to both the radio and the droning of the newscaster on television.

"And in five minutes, we have news of a car chase, involving our very own Zootopia officer, Nicholas Wilde, who seemingly to have a season with eighty five percent clearance rate, merely four months after the death of his partner, Judy Hopps."

The voice of the newscaster cut off, as the television went into commercial. The radio continued to play, causing the figure to mentally tap their paws to match the beat.

Look how far you've come  
You filled your heart with love  
Baby you've done enough that cut your breath  
Don't beat yourself up  
Don't need to run so fast  
Sometimes we come last but we did our best

After a couple of minutes passed, the voice of the newscaster appeared, shifting the focus of the stranger back to the television. "And here, we have raw footage of a police chase, involving Nicholas Wilde and Jennifer Snow. Why don't we take a look at that?"

The figure slowly sat up, their eyes trained on the television, as they watched the footage gained from the traffic cameras that were situated in the Rainforest District. They saw through the black and white film a fox climbing up on top of a car and jumping down the side of the cliff. The newscasters, both a male and female leopard, gasped with shock as the fox caught on a rope of vine, swing and hit against a giant leaf before sliding down.

The stranger watched as the car careened out of control and disappear around a corner, away from the prying eyes of the traffic camera. "And that's all the footage we were able to get, folks. There seems to be no cameras around the corner, but we have information. It seems that the driver, the ones that Officers Snow and Wilde have been chasing, died to a bullet wound, and we have been told by Chief Bogo of the ZPD that Internal Affairs will be investigating to make sure that it was indeed self-defense, like Officer Wilde claims."

A phone rang, on the bed next to the figure. Silently, the stranger picked it up and placed it against their ear. "Uh huh." They said. "I just saw it…. I know. We need to pick up the pace."

The stranger paused and then nodded their heads. "Are you sure? This stupid fox will be national news! And self-defense? That's a load of…" the stranger paused, and continued "I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to… Anyways, I was saying, we don't need that kind of heat on our backs."

"I understand, but…" the stranger stopped. "What is the plan?"

After a couple minutes passed talking to the other animal on the phone, the figure hung up. They stood up and walked around until they was between the bed and the nightstand. Picking up the furniture, the figure moved it to the side. They kneeled down, and knocked down a panel in the wall, reached inside and pulled out a large black suitcase, with a padlock latched to it.

They turned around and headed to the dresser where the television was located. Pulling open the middle drawer and rifling through their clothes, they found what they were looking for, a key.

Inserting the key in the lock of the suitcase, the padlock opened with a _click. _The stranger threw the padlock aside on the bed and opened the lid. Inside, pistols lined the lid, but those were not what they were looking for. The stranger had their eyes on the gun in the middle of the suitcase: a Remington 400 hunting rifle. Pulling the rifle out, the stranger grabbed a scope and started to twist it on the top. This is why they were paid the big bucks by the organization – to assassinate animals. Quietly or loudly, they didn't care, as long as they got paid.

Once they finished outfitting the rifle with the scope, they remained kneeling for a couple of seconds, pondering. Finally, they picked up a phone and pressed a single number, putting it against their ear.

After a few rings, a voice answered. The stranger spoke, holding one paw on the base of the rifle and said, "We have a problem."

/

_Zootopia – Nick's Trailer._

Jennifer Snow pushed her way past the orange vulpine and moved inside the trailer. At first when she pulled up into the empty channel, she was confused. Surely, she was in the wrong place, but after seeing Nick's car, she paused for a couple of seconds. This was truly a sign of a creature that had lost everything and was willing to give up.

But that was the problem. In his drive to give up, Snow could tell that Nick still enjoyed his job. She could see the small light of excitement in his eyes, the last couple of days when he stopped the bank robbers and the buck at the car chase. The arctic vixen smiled softly, but that smile disappeared immediately as she remembered that her current partner had lied to her and ended up in Tundra town.

Taking the time to drive to Nick's last known coordinates, Snow found herself in the middle of a freezing snowstorm, in front of a house. She had knocked on the door, but no one answered. Instead, Snow moved around to the several windows and peered inside, hoping to find something, but it was empty.

_Maybe no one's home_, Snow thought hopefully. But a second instinct told her that she was wrong.

The vixen had moved back to her car, got in and drove towards the heart of Zootopia. It was there where she found Nick's trailer. A shadow had caught her eye, as she saw Nick pick up something and place it in her mouth. Fear gripped her heart as she realized it was a gun, but then anger replaced her fear. Here was a good cop, ready to waste his own life. Immediately, she got out of the car and ran to the door, pounding it with all of her might.

To her relief, Nick answered the door, with a smile on his face. But upon the sight of her, his smile disappeared. Not waiting for permission to come inside, the arctic vixen pushed past the vulpine and whirled around.

Nick watched her go, closed the door and turned around to face her. Opening his mouth, the vulpine started to say something, but instead a sharp stinging sensation emulated through his cheek as a hard paw slammed against it. Nick felt himself reeling backwards, and fighting his instinct to defend himself, the fox slowly massaged his hurt cheek. Looking at his partner with hurt, the vulpine squeaked out, "What was that for?"

"Being an idiot."

"Well," Nick chuckled. "I'm always an idiot. So I don't think that's deserving."

In a flash, another stinging sensation appeared on the other side of his cheek and Nick looked back at Snow, her face red with anger. "Now, why did you do that?"

"For lying to me!" Snow spat. The vixen gestured towards the gun that was safely in Nick's holster and looked back at the emerald green eyes of her partner. "And… how could you think of such thing?" Snow asked, her voice cracking. "Nick… I know we've been partners for a few days, but we've been through a lot. How can you think of leaving everything you've worked for? Everything you've fought for?"

Nick looked down at the floor with shame, putting his paw behind his neck, like a child who had been caught by his mother. Finally, the vulpine spoke, "I don't know what you're talking about, Snow."

"Nick… don't do this to me. Talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about."

Snow gestured towards the trailer. "This is an obvious sign that you're hurting, Nick. You're cutting yourself from the world. Why?"

Wilde shrugged. "Decided I was due for a change of scenery."

The artic vixen had to restrain herself from throwing herself at the fox, wrapping her paws around his throat and strangling him to death. Instead she thought of herself and remembered that she was in his shoes. When that memory crossed her mind, she sighed and sat down on the couch. Nick turned around and went to the refrigerator, opened it and pulled out a beer. Snow eyed him wearily as Nick moved back to his previous position. Hoisting himself on the counter, the vulpine opened the bottle and brought it to his lips, taking a deep draft.

"This is your last chance to talk to me, Nick… I'm here for you."

Nick cleared his throat and glanced at his partner. "Like I said, nothing to talk about."

"Why were you at Duke Matthews' place?"

Nick looked at her, a quizzical look on his face. Snow nodded and spoke, "Abby told me about the lion's fur. Said that it led you to his place."

The vulpine shrugged. "He was an old friend. I wanted to ask why he got it there."

"Then where is he?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nick… when I got there, he wasn't seen. Did you have something to do about that?"

A look of hurt flashed across Nick's face, as he put his paw over his heart. "I swear, I had nothing to do with my friend, Duke Matthews. He must have left after I did."

"Then did he?"

"Did he what?"

"Have something to do with it?"

Nick shook his head. "He wasn't very helpful." After that statement, he went silent.

The vixen leaned back in her chair. Nick was talking in circles. So she tried to play her final card, laying it down on the table. "I know about the Hopps case. I know that Duke Matthews was a player in it. From what I heard from Abby, you took it pretty hard. To my understanding, you have no suspects, no lead and you blame yourself…"

A loud _thump_ was heard as Wilde jumped off the counter, he took a couple of steps towards Snow, his voice emitting a low growl. "You know nothing about me, Snow. _Nothing_. You know nothing about how I got here." He paused then sighed, attempting to control his emotions. After clenching his fists, Nick looked back at the vixen and spoke, "When we were in the academy, we were taught to never leave our partner behind. I left her and look at where it got her," Nick's voice cracked. "Ten feet under the ground."

"She was doing her…"

"Snow… if you say she was doing her job, I am going to kill you…" He glared at her, his emerald eyes glowing with anger. "That's what everyone says, and if you think that brings me comfort, then get out of my trailer." Nick scoffed. "Judy loved saying the ZPD's motto. 'To protect and serve.' How can we protect and serve the people if," Nick's voice started to rise with fury, "if we cannot _protect_ and _serve_ our own department?"

Wisely, Snow kept her mouth shut, and Nick sighed with tiredness. Finally, he turned around and said, "So don't tell me that you understand… when you don't really understand at all."

After the vixen heard that, she felt resentment rise up. Putting it under control, she stood up, grabbed the beer out of Nick's hands, opened the door and threw it out, hearing it shatter against the pavement. Snow turned back and spoke, "The thing is, Nick. I do understand. I've been exactly where you are right now."

When Nick scoffed, Snow ignored his response and continued, "And let me say, everything I heard about Judy…" she paused, searching for her words. "She sounds like a wonderful person and let me tell you, Nick." She started to jab at Wilde's chest with her finger, saying each word with each poke. "Judy would hate seeing you like this."

"You don't know Judy."

"You're right, Nick. I don't. But I do know that you cared about her and I'm sure that she cared about you. Would she want you to go after her killers?"

Nick rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Of course. We at the great ZPD are committed to catching killers."

"That's not what I meant, Nick, and you know it. This is not how you go around doing things. You keep this up and you will get yourself killed." Snow looked deeply at his emerald green eyes. She shook her head and turned around. "I'll let myself out."

She opened the trailer, and stopped in her tracks at the sound of Nick's voice. "It may not be, but I don't have any other options."

Snow whirled around, "What are you talking about?" she said, her voice laced with exasperation. "Everyone has choices!"

"Not me, Snow… Not me."

"Nick… Revenge is not the way. You need to do it by the book in accordance to the law."

"_Screw_ the book!" Nick shot back. "Where was the "book, in accordance to the law" when the four gunmen stormed the restaurant, demanded to see Judy? Where was the law when they raised their gun and shot Judy in front of me?" Nick took several steps closer to Snow, causing her to back out of the trailer to the outside, "Where was the law when Judy was lying in a pool of her own blood? Where was the law when I saw her life leave her eyes?" As Nick took several steps closer to Snow, she was shocked to see a mixture of fury, sadness, but most of all, regret and shame in his eyes, "_Where was the law_ when I was told I couldn't give her a funeral? _Where was the law_ when I had to go two hundred miles out of town to Bunnyburrow to tell her parents that their daughter, who was an _officer_, died?" Nick stopped his tangent, his whole body shaking. He took a deep breath, and exhaled. "The law was broken. It may have been designed to protect the people of Zootopia, but it does nothing for the criminals. We catch them and they get out." Nick shook his head and looked at the sprawling metropolis of Zootopia. "So, the only option I have is to put… them… down."

"Nick."

"So, you say that you do understand… Come back to me when you've got a partner who died on your watch." Nick shook his head. "Good night, Snow."

The vulpine turned around and entered his trailer. He shut the door, and within a few minutes, Snow could see his shadow through the blinds. Finally, the lights turned off, leaving her alone underneath the setting sun.

/

_Zootopia – Jennifer Snow's Apartment_

The alarm rang, causing Snow to snap out of her slumber. The arctic vixen groaned, and stretched. After a couple of minutes, she stood up and started to get on with her morning routine. She had just poured a cup of coffee into her travel cup, when her phone rang. She picked it up and placed it to her ear. "This is Snow."

"Good mornin', Jennifer! Rise and shine! Hope you are doing just fine!" A familiar southern drawl entered her ear. Snow grimaced at the excitement of the wombat.

"Good morning, Abby. What do you have for me?"

"It's funny because when I was just a babby wombat, my ma would sing that song to me to help me wake up… Oh, those were the mornings! Nothing like smelling food cooking on the stove!"

"Abby…"

"My entire family loves sweets. I mean, we could eat 'em for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But my favorite for breakfast is the appah pie, doncha know? But those were the special moments, Miss Snow. Normally, we just have cereal and my ma and pap, they get the soups."

"Abby!" Snow yelled, not realizing that Nick had done the same several days prior. "What do you have for me?"

"My apologies, Miss Snow. I tend to get carried away like that. I mean, I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was a kid… hey, isn't that a beautiful rainbow this morning?"

Snow placed her hand on her face and sighed. "Abby… Please," she spoke, her voice showing a hint of begging. "Why are you calling me?"

"Right! My apologies again, Miss Snow. Anyways, I got a match on your fur. You should probably come down to the office to check it out!"

Snow nodded, smiling. "Thanks, Abby! I'll be heading over there now." She immediately hung up and put her phone into her pocket. She turned around and headed out the front door, which her upstairs neighbor, a carpenter, had fixed. Snow had insisted to pay for his service but the carpenter waved her off, saying that her service was payment enough.

Snow left the door, went through the hallway and as she was going down the elevator to the parking garage, a thought struck her mind. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. The voice on the other end spoke, "You have reached Nicholas Wilde," a giggling voice was heard in the background as Nick directed his voice to that creature, "Knock it off, Judy, I don't know what I'm doing. I am not available, please leave a message at the beep, I guess?"

A beep was heard, and Snow hung up. Instead she dialed a number and Clawhauser's voice answered. "I'm on my way to the ZPD. Where's Nick?"

"Here. Just came in around five minutes ago."

"Okay. Thanks Clawsie." Snow hung up, got in her car started to head to the ZPD.

_Zootopia- ZPD_

Jennifer Snow stepped through the golden lobby of the ZPD. Already, she could see a figure standing, chatting with the obese desk sergeant. Clawhauser popped a doughnut in his mouth, and nodded in her direction, causing the animal to turn around.

Nick Wilde gave her a small smile, but Snow could only return a scowl. Giving her good morning to Clawhauser, the arctic vixen ignored the vulpine and started to head to the elevator. Hearing pawsteps behind her, Snow didn't turn around, instead standing still, facing the doors.

The elevator doors opened with and both the vulpine and vixen stepped inside. The doors closed and Snow reached over and pressed a button. Seeing her action, Nick sighed and spoke, attempting to break the ice, "So, what are we doing today?"

"I got a call from Abby. She found something on the perps that broke into my apartment yesterday." Snow folded her arms, staring ahead.

"I see. Well, another day at the ZPD, huh?" Nick gave a small smile, causing the vixen to turn around and jab her finger on his chest again. "Nick… don't think that you can come in with a smile. I am going to ask you one more time and I want you to think about your answer."

After the vulpine nodded, the vixen continued, "Did you or did you not have something to do with Matthews?"

Nick looked at the turquoise colored eyes of Snow. The image of Duke shooting himself in his head flashed through his mind and the vulpine shook his head. "Like I said last night, I had nothing to do with Duke, Snow. _Nothing_ at all. Now drop it… please."

As much as Snow wanted to see if he was lying, a second instinct told her that he was telling the truth. Maybe he was at Matthews' place, but if Duke showed up dead somewhere, then Nick had nothing to do with his death. But the way that the buck died several days ago nagged at the back of Snow's mind. _Nick said that it was self-defense… but was it?_ She shook her head, deciding to put her last inkling of trust in him.

"Alright… I believe you… but hear this…." She turned to the vulpine, becoming very serious. "You do this out of revenge and you will get yourself killed. Then what would Judy think of you? What would the ZPD think of you?"

Nick's cold response caused her to catch her breath as he responded, "She wouldn't think of anything, Snow… she's dead."

At that statement, the elevator hit the floor. As the doors opened, the phone in Nick's pocket rang. Seeing him pull out the phone, Snow moved away, giving him a bit of privacy.

"Go for Wilde." Nick turned and faced his partner, shock replacing his coldness. "What…. When was this called in?" he looked at his watch. "Okay, I'm on my way."

The vulpine hung up and looked at Snow. "I'm sorry, I gotta go."

"What happened?"

The elevator opened and as Snow stepped out, Nick called after her, "My childhood neighbors… they were murdered."

Snow shook her head and opened her mouth, but it was too late. The elevator doors closed, sending Nick to the lobby. The vixen threw her hands up with exasperation turned around and made a beeline towards Abby's laboratory. Upon arriving, Abby was sitting on a stool, her body hunched over a microscope, studying something. Snow stopped at the door and politely knocked, causing the wombat to motion for her to come inside.

Snow moved quickly and stood next to the CSI technician. "Are you sure?"

Abby nodded and pointed towards a small screen. A black panther's face appeared and Snow nodded silently. That was the same panther she had seen step inside the elevator earlier that morning. "Thanks Abby," the vixen spoke. "Guess I need to go get a warrant."

The wombat turned around with a smile. "I already told Clawhauser. He's got it for you… Oh!" Abby jumped down from the stool and walked towards a cabinet. She opened the cabinet, revealing the stack of video tapes. "You left this here when you went in a hurry to see Mistah Wilde." Abby clasped her hands together. "Is Mistah Wilde okay?"

"He's doing fine." Snow offered no more words.

After a couple of seconds of awkward silence between the wombat and the vixen, Abby pulled the tapes out of the cabinet and handed them to the vixen. Snow nodded her thanks and put the stack underneath one arm. Saying her goodbyes, Snow walked towards the elevator and pressed the button. After a couple of minutes, the vixen found herself walking across the lobby to Clawhauser's desk. Upon arriving at the desk sergeant, Snow placed the tapes on the counter. "I was told you have a warrant for me?"

The obese cheetah nodded and went underneath his desk, muttering to himself, "Where the dickens did I put this paper?" A couple of seconds passed and Clawhauser popped out, a huge grin on his face. "Here ya go, Miss Snow! Signed by Judge Benton!"

"Thanks Clawhauser." Snow nodded, appreciatively. "Can you have someone else look through these tapes for me? Nick got a case. So, I'm out of a partner, and I need to pick this guy up."

The desk sergeant nodded. He pulled the tapes off the counter and spoke, "I think Hornigold's available. He's still resting from his injury."

Snow nodded her thanks, turned around and left the building.

/

_Zootopia – Downtown_

Nicholas Wilde squatted in the living room, his gloved hands folded. He shook his head sadly at the grisly scene before him. Two foxes, both brown, laid dead, the male in his chair and the female over the living room floor. A pool of blood had emerged from the three stab wounds in her chest, while the male had his throat slashed.

Nick stood up and shook his head again. He turned to the officer on the scene and asked, "Who called this in?"

"Their maid came into here for work. Saw them like this, then ran out. She ran across to the O'Leary's and they called 911."

"Do we have the murder weapon?"

"Not yet… but we have this." The officer moved several feet and showed Nick a shoeprint in blood. The fox squatted back down and inspected. "Looks like men's." he commented. "We find the shoes?"

"Not yet."

A scream was heard outside of the house, and the vulpine stood up, turned around and headed outside of the door. He walked down the stairs and saw a female vixen run up to him. She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Nick… I just heard. What happened?"

"Lacy… I can't say anything right now."

"Lacy!" Another voice called out. A brown fox had made his way through the barricade and under the caution tape. He ran and embraced the vixen, both crying into each other's shoulders. Finally, the fox looked up at Nick and spoke, "What can you tell me?"

"Like I told your sister, Andrew. I can't say."

"Nick… It's me."

"I know… Apollo." Nick smiled at the nickname he had given Andrew. When they were younger, Andrew loved playing all musical instruments. After finding out that Apollog was the god of music, Nick had jokingly applied it on him. "What I can say is that it's a crime scene. Your parents were attacked."

Andrew looked around panicky as Lacy started to cry. "Where's Tommy?" Andrew asked. "Where's our brother?"

Nick shook his head. "He's nowhere to be seen." He paused and continued, "What can you tell me about him?"

Andrew scoffed. "What's to say? He'd get a job, move back into our parent's house, start using and get wasted all over again. Then he'd lose work, get in trouble and milk them for money for rehab. Dad and Tommy would fight, then he would move out and start the cycle all over again."

"So was he living here?"

Lacy nodded. "I came home yesterday, and he was in the basement where he always were…" she started to cry again, "There was nothing strange… I talked to Mom every day!"

Looking at both of them, Nick continued, "Where were you guys last night?"

"Nick…" Andrew spoke.

"Come on, Apollo. You know I have to ask these questions."

Andrew nodded and gave a small smile, "Just doing your job huh? I was at home."

"With Kimberly and the kids?"

The fox shook his head. "They're out of town. Her father was sick. I had to take care of the store."

Nick turned to Lacy and before he said anything, the vixen spoke, "At the apartment."

"Anyone there that can verify that?"

Lacy thought for a minute, then nodded. "The doorman."

Nick sighed and nodded, putting his paws in his pockets. "Alright. I'm gonna need one of you to come back to the station and identify the bodies."

Lacy cried again, her voice screeching as she started to wail. Andrew nodded. "I'll do it." They both turned around and slowly left the scene, Andrew's arm laying comfortingly around his younger sister's shoulders. As Nick watched them go, he turned around and kicked a small can with anger. _They were good animals…_

_Zootopia – Jennifer Snow's Apartment_

Jennifer Snow went up the elevator, her eyes glued on the piece of paper that she was holding. Upon arriving on the floor, the vixen moved her way through the hallway, reading each number on the door. "203…. 204…. 205…. And 206." She muttered to herself.

Knocking on the door for room 206, Snow waited for an answer. There was none, so the vixen knocked again. After a couple of seconds, the door creaked open, revealing a young black panther, no more than the age of fourteen. "David Kelly?" Snow asked.

The panther sighed and said, "Hang on a second."

The door closed and she heard the latch unclick from behind the door. It swung open again, and the panther stepped out, closing it behind him. Raising his hands up, David looked at the vixen, begging in his eyes. "Please, Miss. I didn't mean to do it. I was forced to come."

"Forced? By whom?"

David hesitated. After reading his body language, Snow sighed and relaxed herself. "Listen to me. We can talk about it here or I can take you back to the precinct. Your choice."

The panther looked behind him at his apartment and spoke, "I'd rather do it here. I don't want my mama to find out…. It would break her heart… you see, my older brothers are in jail."

Snow sighed again, her heart going out to the young animal. "Let's make a deal. Give me the name, and I'll talk to the ADA."

"What kind of deal."

"At best, probation. But I need a name."

David nodded and looked back at the room behind him. "I can do that, but I'm gonna need assurances."

"Assurances?" Snow asked, her voice tinged with surprise. "You broke into my apartment. It's not like you murdered somebody."

David nodded, "I know… but this guy is bad news. He's in charge of this gang that I'm in. Yesterday morning was my initiation."

Snow cursed in her mind. She hated gangs. They were groups that preyed on the young and tried to use them for their own benefit. The young that joined them usually looked for attention and family. It seems like David was the perfect fit. Older brothers were gone and his mother probably didn't give him the attention he needed. But now Snow nodded her head. "I'll see what I can do."

"Eddie Carlisle. But people on the street call him Lucky. You can find him down a couple of blocks that way… near the chop shop."

Snow nodded her head again and gave her thanks. David moved closer to her, his paws out. "I'm ready."

She looked at the panther and shook her head. "Listen to me. Take care of your mom for the next few days. Don't do anything stupid. I'll put in a good word for you with the ADA. Stay out of trouble."

David smiled nervously and turned around. He opened the apartment door and nodded hurriedly. "I promise!" The door shut behind him, leaving Snow alone, and smiling.

The arctic vixen shook her head, turned around and started to walk down the hallway. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Go for Wilde."

"Got a lead on my case. How's it going on your end?"

"I don't need a babysitter, Snow."

"Nick…"

"What? You think I'm going to off myself?"

"After what almost happened last night, I wouldn't be surprised."

A few seconds passed, then Nick grunted. "Making slow progress. I put out a BOLO for a suspect, Tommy Queen, after I found his shoes, soaked in blood in the dumpster across the street... I don't understand, why would he do this?"

"I'm sorry for your loss, Nick."

The fox hesitated. "Thanks, Snow." A pause passed, then he continued, "The Queens were good animals. They practically raised me after my father passed away and my mother became… useless. But, Tommy… Tommy was a rough kid. He and Mr. Queen fought all the time. Still, that didn't take away the fact that all of them were good friends. But as the years went by, Tommy cut off all contact with me."

Snow nodded to herself, "Well… you'd better find him then. Before he hurts somebody else."

A low growl emitted from the phone. "Don't worry, Snow… and when I do… I'm gunna have words with him."

/

_Zootopia – The West Motel_

Nick Wilde held his gun out, resting in both of his paws, as a voice yelled down from above him at the gathered officers at the scene. He peered from underneath the stairs and saw Tommy pacing back and forth, holding an axe. He was wearing a tattered T-Shirt and worn jeans. Bags hung underneath his eyes, but there was still a crazed look in them.

Wilde had heard that the officer found Tommy Queen staying at the West Motel, and made a beeline towards there. Upon arriving, the officer had ordered no one to shoot, and they all obeyed. Instead, the fox turned around, requested a Tazer, and the officer on scene obliged. Nick looked up, and spoke. "Hey Tommy… It's Nick! Remember me?"

Tommy gave a loud groan and called back, "Don't come any closer, Nick! I swear… I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna kill everyone here!"

"Tommy… No one needs to die. Not today!"

The axe-wielding vulpine turned around and looked at the officer that was on the same floor with him. "Come on! Shoot me dammit!'

"Hold your fire!" Nick yelled. He pushed his way up the stairs until he was on the landing. Tommy spun around and faced the vulpine. "Nick… please let them shoot me! I… I've lost everything! Let them shoot me!"

"I'm not going to let them do that, Tommy." Nick raised his paw. "Please drop the axe!"

"_Shoot me!" _The fox bellowed, racing towards him, his axe raised over his head. Nick took a step backwards and fired, the needles peppering the attacking vulpine, causing him to convulse and fall down the stairs. Nick sighed at the still form of his former friend and shook his head. "Oh Tommy…" he muttered."

/

_Somewhere in Zootopia_

The sun set, emitting an orange glow as Jennifer Snow pressed on the gas. She weaved her way through traffic, happy to have a very efficient day. Her stomach rumbled with gnawing hunger, and the vixen reached into her purse. She pulled out a granola bar, lined with berries and started munching on it.

The arctic vixen had called back to ZPD and Clawhauser sent several officers as back up. They found Lucky Carlisle, another black panther, inside the chop shop and made a clean arrest, booking him for breaking and entering, and attempted assault on a police officer. When Carlisle opened his mouth to argue, Snow immediately made a positive ID, matching him as the older robber remembering his voice. She called David back and told him of the news and warned him to not leave the building. David had thanked her again and again for giving him a second chance. Of course, Carlisle lawyered up, but after a call to Hornigold, Snow made another positive identification on the panther through the tapes, because he stupidly took off the ski mask.

Putting him in an interrogation room, Snow asked about the attempted robbery at her place. After a half of hour of quizzing, she realized that she was getting nowhere. The vixen had stood up and pushed her chair back, getting ready to leave, before Lucky stopped her.

"I was paid." Lucky had said.

"By who?"

"Dunno. Some bloke called me and said to hit your room at that address. They dropped off a package of money in an envelope at my place."

Snow smiled. "Do you still have that envelope?"

"What if I do? You gunna help me out?"

"Yeah. You get to keep your life. You're lucky I didn't shoot and kill you."

Lucky scoffed and leaned back in his chair. After a couple of minutes, he sighed and nodded. "It's still at my place."

Snow left the room and made a beeline to Officer Rizzoli. Asking her for a favor, Snow sent Rizzoli to Lucky's apartment to search for the envelope. It was then that Snow got in her car and started to drive.

Finishing her granola bar, she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. She dialed a number and upon hearing a "Go for Wilde," Instead, she asked, "Are you okay?"

Nick sighed. "Snow, you don't have to keep checking in on me. I'm fine."

"No you're not."

Electing to ignore his partner, Nick spoke, "_I'm _fine, Snow. I'm here at the ZPD with a suspect."

"So you found him, huh? Getting anywhere with him?"

"No. He's not saying much, aside than the fact that he couldn't remember anything. Guy lives in his parent's basement and a murder was committed and he doesn't hear anything. I'm thinking it was another one of his blackouts." Nick hesitated. "But…"

"What?"

"I don't know… after talking to him, I have a feeling. So I decided to go back and look at the pictures from the crime scene. It seems that the stab wounds and the slash… it's too precise."

Understanding where Nick was going, "So it can't be from a guy who was in a drunken or drugged rage…" Snow spoke. "Huh, that makes sense. Have you found the knife?"

Nick sighed on the other end of the line. "No, and to make matters worse, the front door wasn't broken, which means the Queens knew this person. Also, Mrs. Queen had defensive wounds, but had no genetic material underneath her fingernails, except for latex."

"And what about their finances?"

"Mr. Queen was losing money on the store, so he poured in his personal funds. But…" Snow could hear paper rustling in the background. "He booked a vacation for himself and his wife, totaling a couple of thousand dollars…. But here's the kicker. He hasn't started payments on that."

"Huh… Alright. I'm on my way back to the ZPD."

The line went dead, and Snow placed the phone in the cup holder and silently drove to the headquarters.

/

_Zootopia – ZPD_

Jennifer Snow walked through the lobby of the headquarters and made her way upstairs. After walking through a dark hallway, the arctic vixen turned left and entered a room. A single lamp was on, and Nicholas Wilde was leaning back in his chair, his feet on the desk.

Snow slowly moved past the empty desks and turned to look at Nick. His eyes were closed and a flask was in his hand. The vixen shook her head with disgust and pulled the flax away, causing the vulpine to snap his eyes wide open. She sat down next to him and glared at him, holding the bottle. "What's this?"

Nick shook his head, "Just needed some rest, Snow. Don't blame me."

"You're not supposed to drink on the job."

"I don't see you telling anyone."

Snow rolled her eyes and tossed the flask back on his desk. A couple of seconds passed, then Nick spoke, "I feel like I abandoned him…. Like I abandoned Judy." The fox sighed. "He was a drug addict, and a drunk and I did everything in my power to help him. One night, he was half drunk and fell down into an empty swimming pool. Broke his elbow and his nose." He shook his head. "That was the last straw for me." He leaned back and looked at his partner. "Another mistake of mine…I seem to be having a lot of those lately."

"Nick… you can't think about that. You can't let your mistakes define you."

Nick shook his head. "That's not true. Every decision you make shapes who you are. Look at me. Former hustler and now a cop." He scoffed. "I never would have been this if it wasn't for Judy."

Snow slowly nodded her head, and whispered. "Do you want to talk about her?"

Wilde gave a small chuckle and looked back at his partner. "You're not going to get through me, Snow. You're gonna have to try harder than that."

A phone rang and Wilde immediately pulled it out of his pocket. "Hello… are you sure? Double check….. Okay. Thank you."

Nick stood up and put his phone back. He sighed and shook his head. Slamming his fist on his desk, Nick panted, attempting to control his rage. "What's going on Nick?"

The fox shook his head and muttered, "This can't be happening."

"Nick…"

"There were a lot of calls between Andrew and Lacy on the night their parents died."

Snow shrugged. "So what? They're siblings aren't they?"

Nick nodded. "But that's why I'm afraid." Without a word, he turned around and left the room, with Snow in tow. The two foxes made their way outside to the car, and climbed into Nick's Mustang. After turning the engine on, they roared down the street, heading towards Lacy's house.

_Zootopia – Lacy's House_

The door was open and both Nick and Snow walked inside. They stepped through the small foyer and turned right into the living room. Boxes lined the floors as Lacy was digging through one of them. Behind her laid a small hutch, pictures adorning it. Nick gave the doorframe a small rap, causing the vixen to jump with fright.

She turned around and upon sight of Nick gave a small smile. She stood up and pulled in the vulpine for a hug and looked back. "I heard you found him? Did he do it?"

Nick sighed and spoke, while gesturing towards Snow. "This is my partner, Jennifer Snow. And we are still investigating… But what I can tell you is that we found the knife. It'll take a while but we're hoping we can lift some prints off of it and see if it'll match him."

Lacy smiled and nodded. "That's wonderful, Nick. Thank you for helping catch our parents' killers… Such a shame it had to be him. Poor Tommy." She sighed, turned around and left the room.

Snow leaned in and whispered in Nick's ear. "Did you really find the knife?"

Nick shook his head, his expression unreadable, murmuring "No. I just wanted to shake the apple tree and see if anything falls out. Remember that Tommy had blackouts and the fact that the kill was precise? Also, don't forget that the parents knew their killers. So who else could it be…"

Snow looked at Nick with amazement of his ingenuity. "So that's why you subpoenaed to see Andrew and Lacy's phone records?"

The vulpine nodded, turned around and they both left the house. "And if I'm right… she's calling Andrew right now." He sighed, turned and looked back at the house. "Lacy… how could you do this?" he muttered to himself.

After climbing in Nick's mustang, the two foxes were silent for a couple of minutes as the vulpine drove them both back to the ZPD. Finally, Snow spoke, "So… how'd you and the Queens become friends?"

Nick look sideways and hesitated. He hated sharing his past, but before he knew it, he opened his mouth and spoke, "My father was a drug addict, and my mother was a good mother… but he didn't care. He hit her… a lot. The Queens were my next door neighbors and my mother would send me to them when he came home in a rage. The next morning, when I would go back, she would have new bruises." Nick shook his head at the memory, and continued "She'd always say that she was clumsy, but I knew… I knew better. After he overdosed, my mother had a better life… but she passed away when I was in my twenties. I've been on my own ever since…. Living on the streets, making shady friends and trying to survive… but the only way I survived was because of Judy. She saved me."

Snow opened her mouth, and Nick cut her off saying, "Don't think about it."

/

_Zootopia – The Queen's Store_

Jennifer Snow looked at her watch and saw that it hit 11:17 pm. She groaned and looked at the vulpine. "Nick… it's a Saturday night and I'm missing my bed."

Nick chuckled and looked at his partner. "If this pans out, I'll treat you to Lucky Lucy's."

Snow gasped. "The one in uptown, with the sandwiches?"

"That's the one."

Several minutes passed, as Nick and Snow sat in his mustang out of sight. Darkness controlled the streets, minus the light that emitted from the store. Eventually, the noise of a vehicle approached, causing the two officers to sink slowly into their seats. The car, a blue SUV, parked into the parking spot, and a vixen jumped out.

_Thump! _A heavy paw hit the dashboard causing Snow to jump. She glanced over at the vulpine and saw that he was punching the steering wheel now. _Thump, thump, thump! _Snow placed a comforting paw on Nick's arm and at the touch, the vulpine looked at her, breathing heavily. Keeping her mouth shut, Snow merely looked at the vulpine and motioned towards the two with a shake of her head. Getting the message, Nick slowly calmed down, leaning back in his chair as he watched the scene unfold

Lacy walked up the stairs to the store, opened the doors and grabbed her brother. The two of them walked out and Lacy was screaming. Andrew looked around with frustration and the vixen was gesturing towards the distance. Finally, Andrew nodded and the two of them moved off the steps.

"And here we go," Snow muttered.

The siblings walked to a chain link fence, looked around and upon seeing no one, knelt down and started to dig. Lacy moved a rock and Andrew pulled out a small handkerchief, soaked with blood. He slowly unwrapped the knife and breathed with relief after seeing the weapon.

A screeching noise was heard and headlights flashed upon the two criminals as Nick and Snow got out of the running car. Weapons drawn, Nick called out, "Drop the knife, Apollo! Do it now!"

Andrew hesitated, and Lacy muttered, "Do what he says Andie… Do it."

Andrew looked at his sister and sighed. He acted as he was going to put down the knife, then turned around and started sprinting to his left.

Nick swore and yelled, "Snow!"

"I got her." Snow responded, moving away from her door and walking towards Lacy.

The vulpine holstered his gun and started to chase after his former friend. Andrew led him through several alleyways, before he found himself in a dead end. Waving the knife, Andrew turned around, and before he knew it, Nick had thrown himself into a tackle.

With a grunt and a crash, the two vulpines wrestled on the ground, Andrew attempting to use the knife and Nick trying to get it out of his hand. Andrew was stronger and heavier, and he had the advantage for a couple of seconds. But realizing that Nick was more experienced, Andrew knew that he was fighting for his life.

The vulpine rolled over, away from underneath Nick and pushed him away. The two foxes stood around panting. After a couple of seconds, Nick yelled, "How could you kill your parents? They were good animals!"

Andrew scoffed. "Good animals? They may have been to you! But not to us. Every time you left, father would abuse us and mother… mother with her rose-colored glasses didn't care!"

Nick was taken aback for a couple of seconds. "You thought that it was just Tommy, didn't you, Nick?" Andrew spoke. "He may have taken the brunt of father, but we all took it!"

"So why?"

"Why did I kill them? Because I sick of their acting. I was tired of them going out into public and act like everything was good when that house carried pain. Then I hear that my father was going on a vacation with all the money that I earned? No… I couldn't let him steal from me."

"But what about me, Apollo? Weren't we friends?"

Andrew hesitated and shook his head. "We never had been. You were the golden boy and you weren't even part of the family."

Sadness overtook Nick's heart and he drooped his ears. He slowly nodded and spoke, "Alright, Apollo. Here's your chance… Kill me. You hated your parents so much, and you hated me. Why not complete the trifecta that caused your childhood to be miserable?"

Andrew hesitated for a minute and gave a small smile. Based off Nick's posture, he wasn't bluffing. Emboldened by the fact that he was ready to eliminate all the horrors from his childhood, the fox raised his knife and took a running start.

Nick heard the pawsteps get closer and closer, as he closed his eyes. _Alright Judy… This is it._

A gunshot was heard and Nick felt the heat of the bullet whiz over his shoulder, then a grunt. He opened his eyes and looked at Andrew sprawling on the ground, knife on the floor, whimpering with pain.

The vulpine turned around and saw Jennifer Snow lower her pistol. He cracked a smile as she approached him. "Second time you saved my life."

Snow did not say a word, instead pushed the fox away. Pulling Andrew up to his feet and ignoring his whimpering, the vixen turned and looked at him. "Don't forget you have animals who care about you."

With that being said, Snow pushed the criminal down the alley. After a few seconds, Nick shook his head and followed.

/

_Zootopia – Jennifer Snow's Apartment_

Snow laid on her couch, sipping a cup of tea. A knock was heard and the vixen stood up and walked to the door. Peering through her peep hole, she took a step back and opened it. Nicholas Wilde walked inside the room and looked at the vixen.

"Tea?" she asked.

Nick shook his head. "Just wanted to let you know that Lacy confessed. It was her idea, but Andrew did the deed. They drugged Tommy's drink with sleeping pills and Andrew grabbed his shoes and walked it through the blood. They were going to take the knife to the motel and hide it there, sealing his fate."

"Good work Nick."

Wilde shook his head with disappointment. "But why do I feel horrible, Snow? Everything I thought I knew was a lie… My friends, a lie…even my mother was a lie."

Jennifer shrugged and spoke, "I can't answer that, Nick. But can I ask you something?'

"Shoot."

"Was Judy a lie?"

Nick did not hesitate. "No… she was the realest thing to have happened to me in my life."

Snow smiled. "Good… then hold onto that." She sighed and spoke, "It doesn't matter what you think Judy would think of you. What does matter is what you _know _through your time with her." The vixen paused and spoke, "and, Nick… I mean what I said in that alley. You do have animals who care for you."

Nick scoffed. "Like who?"

Snow shook her head. "Me, for one. Nick… you're an amazing cop. Don't waste that by doing something stupid… We will catch Judy's killers. One way or another, but by the book… I promise you."

The vulpine gave a half smile, but then it disappeared immediately, replaced with a determined expression. His warm and humorous eyes were replaced with ones of coldness. "Like I said Snow, they're all going down… one way or another."

Nick turned around and left the room, leaving his partner shaking her head with sadness.


	7. Chapter 6: Forged in Fire

Chapter Six: Forged in Fire

**Author's Note: Hello everyone. This has been a long time in the making. School, work, wedding plans and life has been keeping me busy. I'm trying to find my way back to writing and I had to rewrite this chapter three times before I was happy with it. I hope you all enjoy it also. I also am posting Chapter Three of my Wild West story, so be on the lookout for that also! I just started on the next chapter, so hopefully, that will be out soon! Thank you for your patience!**

_Zootopia- Tundratown _

Ignoring the howling wind and the snow blasting against their face, the stranger picked up their phone and placed it against their ear. "Duke's dead. What do you want me to do?"

They waited for a couple of seconds and upon receiving the answer, they shook their head. "What do you mean a change of plans? We need to get him ASAP… okay… But with all due respect, sir, this is a bad idea… Okay. I'll wait for your orders."

The figure started to move the phone away from their ear, stopping as the voice continued. "But sir… Do you still want me to eliminate him in the same place? Okay… Just tell me the day and the time." The stranger hung up their phone and looked back at the broken door to Duke Matthews' house. They sighed, made sure that their pistol was at their side, and walked back towards the car. Arriving to the car, they opened the door and sat down at the driver seat. Pulling up the phone, the stranger pressed a number and awaited for an answer. "Central Park. Three guys….Yes, I've been ordered to kill him…. But plans have changed. Boss wants to hold off for several weeks. What do you want me to do?" The stranger paused and nodded to themselves. At the statement from the end of the other line, the stranger leaned forward quickly, with their mouth open with surprise. "Stick to the plan? Are you sure…. Okay… I'll tell you when boss is ready…. You want me to shoot him? There's always a chance I could miss…. Okay… I understand."

The figure hung up the phone and tossed it on the passenger seat of their car. Turning on the car, the stranger drove away from the isolated house, heading back to the motel in downtown Zootopia.

/

_Zootopia – Several Days Later_

Headlights illuminated the street of a quiet, suburban neighborhood as the car turned on the road. The vehicle drove past rows of freshly watered trees, neatly trimmed lawns and hedges and affluent houses. After a couple of minutes down the road, the car slowed down and turned right, pulling itself up on a driveway. The car's headlights turned off then the engine, the silent night reigning supreme.

The doors open as the driver and passenger got out. The driver, a smartly dressed cat, closed his door and smiled at his wife, as he started to loosen his tie. As his wife moved around the car to join him, the cat grabbed her paw and intertwined his fingers with her own. They both moved away from the driveway, around the corner and strode to the front door. Sounds of jangling momentarily cut the silence as female cat looked for the house keys in her purse. After a couple of seconds, she fished them out and handed them to her husband.

The cat placed the key into the lock and turned it with a _click_. He opened the door and strode through first, holding it open for his wife. As she walked into the house, the cat smiled again and spoke "Another day, another dollar! Stocks are climbing and the gala was a success! What do you think, Mrs. McIntyre?"

The feline looked at her husband and purred playfully. "I don't think the gala was _that_ of a success, my dear. I mean… we had a lot of guests who attended only for the food and company."

The cat nodded his head. "That is to be expected of galas, Shelby… and what do you know? You were the most beautiful animal there."

Shelby rolled her eyes playfully. "Stop it, Todd. You were only saying that because you're my husband."

"Not true."

"You're just saying that."

"Shelby…" Todd smiled, knowing that his wife was only jesting with him. "I promise you."

The feline leaned in and gave her husband a kiss on the cheek. "You go and get yourself ready for bed. You have that meeting with the Chases tomorrow morning. You need to get some sleep if you're going to close the deal. I'll get you something to drink."

Todd beamed. "Best wife ever."

"I try."

As the cat moved away from the foyer in front of the door, heading upstairs to the bedroom, Shelby made her way to the kitchen. A ringing noise was heard from her purse and the cat opened it. Fishing her phone out, she saw that she got a text message. After taking several moments to answer it, the cat put the phone back into her purse. The feline moved to the cabinet, opened it and fished out several glasses. She turned around and walked to the cabernet, opened it and pulled out a bottle of Merlot. She opened the bottle and as she was preparing to pour the wine, a ringing noise was heard again. Shelby groaned with annoyance, turned around, grabbed the phone and answered the next text message. Deciding that she was done for the night, the cat turned off the phone and resumed her focus at hand. The feline poured the wine into each glass, hearing the liquid splashing, and returned the bottle back to where it was.

Shelby grabbed both glasses and left the kitchen. Turning to her left, she made her way to the foyer then to the stairs. Light from the bedroom illuminated the hallway as she walked towards her husband. Turning around and using her back to open the door, Shelby spoke "Got some Merlot for you, my dear. Something to celebrate for today and tomorrow." The feline turned around, her smile disappearing quickly.

She dropped both glasses of wine, the red liquid splashing over the carpet. She looked at the crumpled heap of her husband on the floor of the bedroom and realized that there was someone standing over him. She opened her mouth and before a scream erupted, the stranger rushed to her and clamped it shut. The feline felt a sharp pain as a needle entered her neck. Her body became relaxed and she fell to the floor, her eyes misting up as the world became dark.

/

_Zootopia – Nick's Trailer, the next day._

The light from the afternoon sun streamed through the curtains and into the trailer. Nick Wilde threw the card adorned with a silver wolf down on the counter of his trailer with disgust. The vulpine shook his head and turned around, closing the closet door behind him. The thought of Duke Matthews blowing his brains out entered his mind, and Nick shook his head sadly. _If only I had stopped him... I was so close, Judy. So close…_His heart ached at the thought.

At first, Nick thought that the gang member that Snow had arrested several days prior was a possible clue, theorizing that the animal that paid him to break into Snow's apartment had done so to try to throw them off the case. But after searching for the mysterious employer, Nick and Snow had come up empty handed.

The vulpine walked to his couch where a beer bottle was open. He pulled it out from between the cushions as he leaned back and closed his eyes. Taking a drink, Nick smacked his lips, feeling the nutty aftertaste dance in his mouth.

The door to the trailer creaked open, and without opening his eyes, Nick spoke, "What do you want?"

Jennifer Snow stepped inside Nick's abode, feeling the stuffiness and stink wash over her face. She groaned and shook her head, looking around. It was a mess. _But not like it was a mess when I was last here,_ Snow thought to herself, _but this… this is unacceptable._ Unwashed clothes littered the floor as half eaten food peppered the countertops. Beer bottles complimented the clothes that was on the floor, as Snow turned and looked at the vulpine. He was in a sorry state, and the vixen spoke, her voice filled with pleading, "Nick… you need to stop doing this."

"You can't dictate me."

"I'm not trying to…"

Nick interrupted Snow with a perfect mimicry of her voice. "Nick… you need to stop doing this."

Snow could feel her annoyance turning into hints of anger. She took a deep breath in an attempt to control it. The vixen shook her head and spoke, "I just wish you could trust me, Nick."

"I do."

"Not that way, Wilde!" Snow protested. "I know you trust me with your life when we're in the field, but you need to let me in. Tell me about her."

Nick rolled her eyes. "We're not doing this again, Snow. She got shot and died. The ZPD do not have leads. _I _don't have any leads. Every day that passes, I let her down and they get away. That's all there is to it."

"But Wilde," Snow tried again. "If you just let me in, then I'll be able to help you better out there. I'll be able to help you find these people."

"And you want to help… why?"

Snow hesitated. "Because we're partners."

Nick rolled his eyes. "Like I said when we first met, Snow, you'd be better off leaving me alone. It's bad enough you already know about my childhood. I don't want you knowing more."

"Nick. I know what it's like to not trust animals. You've been alone for so long, surviving. Judy came along and she passes away after you open up to her. Now you just sink back into the darkness. Let me help you find your way back."

The vulpine crossed his arm and looked at Snow, then scoffed. "Okay… then tell me what happened to you. Why are you so intent on helping me?"

"What do you mean?"

"The folder," Nick reminded her.

Snow opened her mouth to answer, but then sadness and sense of loss overwhelmed the vixen. She slowly closed her mouth and sighed.

"That's what I thought, Snow. We're both survivors. We work better alone."

"And that's the problem. We work _alone_. Do you not see how well we gel when we're together? We're like… The Lone Ranger and Tonto, Sonny and Cher, or even Ben and Jerry!"

After Nick shot her a look, Snow stopped with her analogies and continued, "The point is, if we're alone, we can only go so far… but by being _together_, we can help each other and overcome."

Nick was silent for a few minutes, then he spoke, "Nah. I like being alone better. Now if you don't have anything else… you know where the door is. I'm busy?"

"Doing what? Drinking your life away?"

"Nick… you need to stop doing this…" Wilde spoke again in the vixen's voice.

The vixen gave a small groan and threw her hands with surrender. After several seconds of silence, Snow finally spoke, "Get up. We have a case."

Nick shook his head. "Not us. Today's our day off."

"Too bad. Bogo needs all hands on deck."

Nick opened one eye and looked at his partner. "Why?"

"We've got an arsonist going around Zootopia. A warehouse burned down a couple of days ago, next was a barn… Now a house burned down last night."

The vulpine grunted. "So what? The Fire Marshall can take care of it. They have their own investigative team."

Snow nodded, "Yes…. But this one, there's a homicide."

Nick shot his eyes open. He took another drink of his beer, finishing the bottle in one go, swallowed and sighed. Throwing the empty bottle on the floor, the fox leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "You've got my interest."

Snow pulled the file from underneath her arm and opened it. She grabbed the stack of pictures and handed it to the vulpine. As Nick studied it, the veteran cop started. "Todd and Shelby McIntyre of Freedom Investor Agency. Someone broke into their home, bound them and set the house on fire."

As the burnt corpses stared back at the vulpine, Nick flipped to the next picture. "McIntyre… huh? Wealthiest couple in Zootopia… No wonder why Bogo needs everyone on this case. Wants to wrap it up quick."

Snow nodded. "Fortunately, Bogo's able to keep a lid in the press. Should give us some time before the guy goes into hiding."

"Good. We need to keep it that way… What's his calling card?"

"He doesn't have one."

Nick's eyebrow shot up. "What are you talking about? Every arsonist has one."

"Not this guy. He came in, did the deed, and left the house."

"Huh. Why target them? Aren't they the most charitable couple? Didn't they give several million dollars to different homeless shelters?"

Snow shrugged. "I was on the way to talk to the daughter before stopping here. You game?"

"Of course I am."

"Good… and Nick? Before you go, take a shower."

"Snow… wait." When his partner stopped, Nick continued. "You said that this was the first homicide? Were the other two… warm ups?"

Snow shrugged. "I don't know, Nick."

With that said, the vixen turned around and headed out of the trailer, closing the door behind her. As he watched her go, the vulpine smiled. "An arsonist, huh? First time for everything, huh Judy?" Nick spoke to himself as he looked at her picture. Finally, after spending a couple of seconds in thought, the vulpine pulled himself together and obeyed Snow by heading to the bathroom.

/

_Zootopia – Sarah McIntyre's House_

"I don't know… I can't think of anyone who could do this…" The cat sitting on the couch before Snow started to cry. She grabbed a tissue that was on the coffee table before her, wrapped it around her nose and blew hard.

Nick paced back and forth behind her, his paws shoved into the pockets of his pants. "Take your time… Anyone with a grudge. Did your father or mother have an argument with anyone in the past several days?"

"No! They were good animals… good parents! I don't understand!"

"What about disgruntled employees at the firm?" Snow asked, her voice low and soothing as she reached over and patted Sarah's shoulder. "Did your father fire anyone recently?"

"Not that I know of. I'm not involved in Todd's day to day management. I'm only the head of the I.T department."

"Really?" Nick asked, surprise tinged in his voice. "I.T? The daughter of the most powerful, wealthiest and influential family in Zootopia is in charge of I.T?"

Not noticing the glare that Snow sent her partner, Sarah nodded slowly, sniffing. "Father said I needed to earn my place. I need to work for it… but now that he's dead, the firm would go to Ray Park."

"Park? Who's he?"

"Todd's partner, and a good man." Sarah stopped and looked up at the two officers. "But Ray had nothing to do with this! He can't…"

"Because he's a good man?" Nick inquired.

"Because he's father's best friend! There's no way he would kill him!"

Nick slowly nodded his head. "What more can you tell me about Mr. Park?"

Sarah shrugged. "Like I said, best friends. They went through college together, graduated together, married within a year apart of each other and was the best man at each other's weddings. Started the firm together, and he even came to my christening. What more is there to tell?"

"Did he have financial troubles?" Snow asked.

Sarah could only shrug. As she did, a knock was heard at the door. The female cat stood up and nodded. "Excuse me."

As Sarah left the room, Nick turned and looked at the vixen. "What do you think?"

Snow shrugged. "She's telling the truth, or at least I believe she is. You?"

"I agree…. But there's something more to this. Just a feeling that I can't shake."

"What do you mean?"

Nick sighed and looked at Sarah. The cat was at the door, talking to someone. "I don't know, Snow. I'll tell you when I find out."

Snow nodded. "You'd better. In the meantime, we need to continue to dig, especially on Ray Park."

"You won't have to do that," a voice was heard from the hallway. Sarah entered the room, followed by an orange furred cat, dressed in a suit. He held a hand up. "Officers. My name is Ray Park. Family friend and Mr. McIntyre's partner."

Nick took the paw and shook it, nodding his head. "The name's Wilde. This is my partner, Jennifer Snow."

"I wish I could say that it was a pleasure," Ray spoke giving a sad smile. "But under the circumstances…"

Snow nodded her head. "I understand and we're sorry for your loss. But if I may ask, what are you doing here?"

Ray gave a small smile. "She's my goddaughter. I came in to check in on her."

The arctic vixen looked at Nick, who could only shrug. Coming to a decision, Snow spoke, "Okay… can I ask you some questions?"

Park sat down on the couch and nodded. "Shoot. I have nothing to hide."

Nick spoke up. "Was Mr. McIntyre acting strange the last couple of days?"

After thinking for several minutes, Ray shook his head. "Not that I could tell. He comes into work at 8 am every day, then leaves at 7:00 pm every night. He's kind to our employees and cares about their wellbeing."

"Apparently, someone didn't return the sentiment." Nick commented.

"Nick!" Snow shot him a glare. But Park waved off the comment. "It's alright, Officer Snow. I imagine a case like this would be a bit difficult to crack, but I am willing to help."

"Do you know where Todd and Shelby was last night?"

Park nodded immediately. "There was a social gathering, a gala if you will. It was in downtown Zootopia and the McIntyre's were the host. It was a success."

Snow nodded, jotting down some notes. She looked back at the cat and gave him a small smile. "Now at this gala, did he seem strange then? Did he talk to someone that you didn't know or recognize?"

To Jennifer's disappointment, Ray shook his head. "I hardly saw him last night. But then again, it was a huge gala. Hundreds, of animals were there."

"What was it for?"

"We wanted to establish wells and provide running water and electricity for impoverished communities outside of Zootopia. Todd was a charitable man and he wanted to see everyone's lives for the better."

"Was there anyone who was… against Todd's charitable actions?"

Park laughed softly. "No. Everyone was thankful for the McIntyres."

After jotting down notes, Snow nodded and spoke, "Right… I think that's everything. Nick?"

The vulpine nodded his head. "Right. Thank you for your time."

The two cats slowly stood up with the two officers. The vulpine and the vixen turned around and navigated through the hallway. Before they opened the door, Sarah's voice stopped them in their tracks. "Please find out who did this."

Nick nodded his head. "We'll try." He turned around and opened the door, allowing his partner to pass through. As they walked outside, they were greeted by the setting sun. The vulpine looked at his watch and sighed heavily. His stomach rumbled quietly as he looked back at the artic vixen. "What're you going to do?" Wilde asked.

Snow shrugged. "I think I'm going back to the building where the gala was. See if I can get my hands on their video. You?"

"I'm going to dig some more into Mr. Park. See you back at the ZPD?"

"Yeah. Let me know if you have something."

"Likewise."

/

_Zootopia – Several Hours Later_

Under the moonlight, the stranger stood in the backyard, feeling the cool grass dance underneath his paws. He breathed in the scent of smoke that emitted from the house that was roaring with flames. He gave a small smile of satisfaction, picked up his boots, turned around and exited the way he came: an unlocked gate in the fence.

Getting entrance into the house was an easy feat, and finding his target was even easier. He was already passed out drunk on the couch. The man was single, with no wife, but a string of lovers. But the stranger didn't care. He had a job to do and he was ready to do it. After watching the man lay on the couch, the stranger reached a decision. He placed on his mask, slung the oxygen tank around his back, and his raspy breathing was heard. The arsonist picked up the huge can that was next to him, and started to pour. Liquid gas, full of putrid stench soaked the carpet as the stranger walked around, splashing it on the floor and the walls.

Finally, the stranger moved back to the man, and poured the remaining gas onto the back of the sleeping creature. The liquid splashed against the back of the sleeping creature as he stirred awake. "What?" he groaned.

Silently, the stranger lit a match, and before the man said anything, threw it on the person. Screams echoed in his ears, as the flames danced up the clothes of his victim before falling down onto the ground, spreading the fire around. After a few minutes of standing in the flames, the stranger smiled to himself, turned around and exited the house. He arrived to the backyard, took off his boots and watched the living room burn with exultation.

As he left the yard, the stranger pulled out a phone and pressed a single number. "It's done… They're on my trail? Okay… I'll switch, and I'll get her." He flipped the phone close and placed it back, disappearing underneath the cover of darkness.

/

_Zootopia - ZPD_

Jennifer Snow groaned as she leaned back at her desk, sipping a cup of coffee, her eyes swimming with figures of animals walking around. "I can't take this anymore." She spoke. "I've followed Todd for several hours in the gala, and he had no strange behavior, no outbursts… nothing. How's it going on your end?"

Nick Wilde shook his head. "Not any better. Ray Park has no criminal records and it seems like everything he's been saying is true. I don't see anything that would say otherwise."

Snow shook her head, "I guess we're back at square one?"

"I wouldn't exactly say that," a voice was heard. Officer Rizzoli strode into the room and spoke to them. "We've got another one."

"Another house?"

Rizzoli nodded. "And another victim. This happened an hour ago. CSI technicians are already there, but it's looking similar to the McIntyres."

"Great," Snow spoke. "Now we got a serial arsonist and killer."

"Who's the victim?" Nick asked.

"Stanley Bannington." Rizzoli spoke, pulling the file out from underneath her arm. She handed it to Nick. "There's everything about him."

As Wilde read the file, his eyes grew big. "Bingo… we have something connecting him to the fires."

"What's that?"

"Bannington invested in Todd and Ray. Helped them start he firm."

"So he's going after people who started the firm?" Snow shook her head. "This doesn't make sense. Why go after Bannington first? Why not Ray?"

"That's a question I intend to find out, now that I know both victims come from the firm. I think we need to talk to Ray again tomorrow morning."

"Before you go, there's something you need to know."

"What's that?"

Rizzoli hesitated. "CSI technicians already found a set of boot-prints in the ground after the fire was put out. Make do what you can with that information."

"Did you find any traces of boots in Bannington's house?" Snow asked.

Rizzoli shook her head. "These rich guys? They never wear boots."

"Then wha…." Realization struck Snow at the same time it did to Nick. They glanced at each other before Nick turned back to Rizzoli. "You're telling me this guy was there, and watched Bannington burn?"

Rizzoli could only nod, causing Snow to shake her head. "That sick son of…" she stopped herself. "We need to find him."

"Yeah... already ahead of you, Snow." The vulpine turned back to the computer. "Thanks Rizzoli."

The two officers worked at their desk, "I'm going to look into Bannington, and then I'm going to get dinner. You?" Snow asked.

Nick sighed as he looked away from his monitor and at Snow. "There's something about Park that is bothering me, Snow. I'm going to keep digging." After the vixen nodded her head with affirmation, Wilde turned his attention back to his computer, the nagging sensation, stronger than ever.

Nick pulled up the pictures of Ray Park, Todd and Shelby McIntyre and their daughter, Sarah. He placed them next to each other and read their files after what seemed to be the fiftieth million time. Nick groaned with annoyance as he read the same words that he grew so familiar with. Several minutes passed, minimized the database, and leaned back into his chair as a blue screen of the computer greeted him. The vulpine stroked his chin, deep in his thought as he recalled the conversation inside Sarah's house. As he replayed the question and answer game inside his head, Nick slowly felt his eyes drooping a weariness over took him. He slowly succumbed to slumber.

An hour later, Snow pushed her chair away from the computer and stood up, finishing her research into Bannington. After glancing at Nick, the vixen smiled and shook her head, grabbing her cup of coffee. She brought it up to her mouth to take a drink as she used her other paw to grab her jacket that was hanging on the chair.

As Nick slept, a thought entered his mind. _Not that I know of. I'm not involved in Todd's day to day management. I'm only the head of the I.T department…_

That sentence bugged his subconscious, warning him to stir himself awake. Instead, Nick replayed the sentence in his mind, slowing down Sarah's words. _Not that I know of. I'm not involved in Todd's day to day management. I'm only the head of the I.T department…_

Nick bolted awake, with a cry of enthusiasm. "That's it!" His sudden realization caused a curse to be erupted from Snow as she jerked quickly, spilling coffee over her clothes. She glared at her partner with annoyance. "What now, Nick?"

"Shut up, Snow."

A hint of anger crept into her voice as the vixen spoke, her eyes shooting daggers at the vulpine. "Excuse me?"

Nick looked back at the vixen. "What? Are you expecting me to apologize? Well… I'm sorry." He turned his focus back to the computer. The fox enhanced Sarah's picture and placed it next to Park's.

_Todd's partner, and a good man…_

After spending a couple of minutes glancing back and forth between the two pictures, the vulpine leaned back in his chair, a smile flashed across his face. "Well, I'll be damned."

Still stinging from Nick's indifference and annoyed from the fact that her shirt was wet, Snow walked around the desk and stood next to her partner. "You got something?"

"Take a look at the pictures and tell me what you see."

A few seconds passed and the arctic vixen shrugged. "All I see is Park and Sarah. So?"

Nick shook his head. "This was what had been bugging me. Something was off about them. In the questioning, Sarah had referred to her father by his first name twice."

"So?"

Nick sighed. "What child refers to their father by their first name, Snow? My old man may have been a drug addict, but I still called him Dad. Look closely."

Humoring her partner, Snow leaned in closer to the screen. After spending several minutes observing the two animals, she gasped. "No way…"

"Right?" Nick traced the computer screen with his finger as he spoke, "We need a DNA test to confirm but, same cheek bones… same jaw line… even the nose shape, width and color is exactly the same. I'd bet my trailer that Sarah is his daughter."

Snow grunted. "Your trailer isn't worth that much."

Snow smiled as she knew that she scored a victory against her partner. After Nick glared at her for the playful jibe, the vixen continued, "Do you think Sarah knew?"

"Oh, I know she did. She said 'Todd' twice. She knew. And because she knew, that means she had motivation"

"But… they were men boots that we found."

"They must be partners."

Snow stepped away. Placing her paws on her hips, she spoke, "I don't know Nick… that's stretching it."

Nick chuckled softly, but then seeing that his partner was serious, he spoke, pointing at the computer screen. "Then why do you think they didn't tell us about this little thing?"

"Think about it Nick. She was the daughter of the most influential family in Zootopia. Mentioning this little fact, even to us or the press, would destroy the firm."

Nick slowly nodded his head. "But we still need to bring her in."

"Tomorrow."

"Yeah… Tomorrow." The vulpine leaned back in his chair, a huge smile written on his face.

Snow rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Come on. You wanna get some dinner?"

Wilde looked back at his partner and sighed, his smile disappearing. "I'm tired, Snow. I think I'm going to take a raincheck. That alright?"

Snow nodded. "Sure."

Nick stood up and tucked in a piece of his shirt that had been pulled out of his pants. He grabbed a stack of paperwork and looked at the vixen. "I'll walk you out?"

"Sure."

Snow turned around and walked through the hallway and towards the elevator. Pressing the button, the door opened immediately. Snow got in and pressed the button for the parking garage as Nick pressed the 'L' for "Lobby." As Snow looked at him, questioning written on her face, Nick held up the stack of papers. "For Clawhasuer."

"Ah. Okay."

The elevator dinged open as Nick stepped off. "Night, Wilde." Snow called out after him. Nick responded by holding the papers he had in his hand up in the air. The elevator doors closed as Snow sighed wearily. Her coffee stained shirt stuck wet against her fur and the vixen shook her head. _It's been a long day, but I can finally go home_.

After a couple of seconds, the door opened again, greeting Snow to the parking garage. She stepped out of the elevator and walked towards her car, reaching inside her purse to grab her car keys. Halfway through the garage, Snow heard heavy footsteps behind her. _That was quick_. She thought to herself.

Turning around, she spoke "What're you going to do now, Nick? Head home?"

A sharp feeling of pain entered her neck as a hand clamped around her mouth. She grunted and immediately felt woozy. She raised her paws and attempted to push away without any avail. The animal had her tight and Snow felt her knees buckle. The light of the parking garage gave away to darkness.

/

_Zootopia – ZPD_

The light of the early morning streamed into the ZPD headquarters. Nick Wilde sat at the desk in the interrogation room. Across from him was a nervous female cat, who had her paws clasped together. He couldn't wait for Snow to arrive to get started, so he decided to do it without her. He was going to get a huge yelling later for it, Nick knew, but after several hours of restless sleeping, the fox had gotten out of bed. After throwing on his clothes, Wilde drove to Sarah McIntyre's house and asked her to go back with him to the precinct.

To his surprise, Sarah obeyed and got in his mustang. Within a few minutes, both the vulpine and the cat was at the ZPD. After getting a water bottle and handing it to the cat, Nick found himself waiting for her to say something. After she didn't the vulpine decided to start. He pulled out a file, opened it and placed it on the desk, turning it around so the cat could see it.

Sarah looked back and forth at the pictures between herself and Ray Park. She looked up, confusion written on her face, unsure of what to say. Finally, Nick spoke, his voice soft. "How long have you known that Todd McIntyre was not your real father?"

A couple of seconds passed, before Sarah spoke. "I don't understand… Are you saying that my father was not my… real dad?"

Nick studied the cat before him. He could see that tears were slowly filling her eyes, and her body was starting to shake. _She's really pulling this off… She's a good actress_.

Nick decided to take a different direction. He was silent for a couple of seconds, then finally spoke. "Do you know anything about genetics?"

Sarah did not talk, knowing where this was heading.

Catching on the act, Nick forced himself to not smile. "Well," Nick sighed. "Genetics are amazing. Those little cells in your body carries DNA, a perfect copy from both of your parents. One from your father and one from your mother. Now these DNA… they make you who you are in physical appearance. For instance, myself… I have my fathers' look and build. But I've got my mother's fur and eyes. You… on the other hand. Your cheek bones, jaw lines, nose, and even your fur shows a tinge of orange. You are Ray's daughter."

As Nick laid down the bombshell, Sarah refused to look up, not meeting his eyes. Nick allowed himself a small smile, knowing that his suspicions were confirmed. "You even called your father by his first name twice, yesterday."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sarah started to cry. As the tears rolled down the cat's cheeks, Nick sighed with annoyance. _Why can't people just be truthful for once? _He thought to himself.

"Fine. Then you won't object to a DNA test then?"

Sarah looked at the fox and back at the folder. Tears filled her eyes as she started to cry again. Finally, she spoke. "Yes… I knew it. I've known for a year now… but… I loved my father."

"I know you did… and I understand. But this is where you need to help me now. Does Ray know?"

Sarah nodded again, causing Nick to continue. "Did he have anything to do with your father's death?"

This time, the cat shook her head. "No one knew that Ray's my father. If people found out, confidence in the firm would plummet and we would lose clients. Not to mention, my father's reputation would be destroyed."

"Do you think that someone found out about your relationship with Ray and was upset that about the fact that Ray cheated with your mother?"

Sarah shook her head again. "We kept a tight lid about this. Of course, my father knew, but he accepted me as his own. He still loved mother!"

"Then who would set your house on fire, Sarah? Who would want to kill your parents?"

"No one!" Sarah protested. "I don't know!"

"Obviously, it was someone! Otherwise your parents would still be alive. If you had told me about this little piece of information, you wouldn't have sent us chasing our tails!"

A phone rang in his pocket and Nick stopped. He stood up and looked at the cat. "Do not move." The fox turned around and left through the door and entered the hallway of the ZPD. Seeing the caller-ID, the vulpine smiled. "Go for Wilde."

Silence reigned the call. After a couple of seconds, Wilde's smile slowly disappeared. "Hello? Snow? You there?"

A deep voice entered his ear as the stranger spoke on the other line. "She is, but she is not going to be the one you are going to talk to, Mr. Wilde."

Nick clenched his jaw as he felt fury boil in the pits of his stomach. "Who is this?"

"No one of importance, Mr. Wilde. But… there is an important piece of information you need to know… you have exactly one hour to save your partner's life. If you fail to meet this time limit, she will die."

After that statement, Nick was greeted with a dial tone. Emotions flared up as memories reared their ugly heads. The picture of Judy laying in a pool of blood entered his mind, and Nick felt his heart start to race. That image was replaced with a building on fire, and there was Nick in the front yard, unable to do anything about it.

_Snap out of it Wilde! _Nick scolded himself. _You have an hour. Now do something!_

Pushing the thought of Snow's possible death, Nick put the phone back into his pocket, turned around and ran back to the interrogation booth.

Sarah snapped her head up as the door slammed open. Nick kicked his own chair across the room and turned to the cat, fury in his voice. "The arsonist has my partner and he is going to kill her. If you know something, you need to tell me _now!"_ he roared the last word, spittle flying across the table.

The cat was taken aback, but she was silent, her eyes resting on the table. Suddenly, she snapped her head up and glanced at Nick. "I think I may have something. But you have to promise that you won't get mad."

"Too late." Nick growled. The table shook suddenly as his fist pounded against it.

The cat jumped, startled. After gaining her composure, she rushed, "Several years ago, the firm caught on fire. Something about a faulty electrical wiring... But I know the truth because that was also the time my father found out about the fact that I was Ray's real daughter. Anyways Todd and Ray was arguing over the future of the agency. Well, things got physical and as they were fighting, a fire erupted. It burned half the building down and they found out that it was a faulty electrical wiring."

"So what?" Nick growled. "What does this have to do with Snow?"

"I'm getting there. There was a creature who died in the fire. His name was Justin… or something like that. Well, I was working yesterday reviewing security videos of the day, as usual. These videos were from several days ago, the day my parents died. Guess who happened to walk inside the building?"

"Justin?"

"Bingo."

After Nick processed the information, he quickly looked back at the cat. "Why didn't you say this before?"

"Well… to be honest… I wanted to do some investigating on my own."

Nick threw his hands up in the air with exasperation. He shook his head, turned around and left the room. As he walked through the hallway and into the bullpen, he spotted Officer Hornigold at his desk. Pointing at the room, Wilde spoke, "I have a suspect in there. I need to go and do something. Keep an eye on her."

After Hornigold nodded, Nick went upstairs to his own desk and computer. Opening the ZPD files, Nick entered Justin's name and cross referenced it with Todd McIntyre. A deceased record appeared for a Justin Rodgers, and Nick opened the folder. As he read, his eyes grew wide, and Nick beamed to himself. Written on the screen was a criminal record which showed that the suspect served jail time in the past for setting a fire in an empty lot.

_So where would this Justin be?_ Nick thought to himself. _He killed McIntyre, and Bannington. Then he took Snow… but why take Snow?_ Nick shook his head. _He must have taken Snow because he knew that we were close_. The fox walked into the elevator and pressed the button for the parking garage. _But… where would he be keeping her?_

As the elevator opened, Nick hurried towards his mustang. Jumping into his car, he turned the keys and the car roared with life. _Now where should I go? If I was a crazed arsonist, where would I keep her? A warehouse… abandoned shack? A secret arsonist society?_

_Wait…. He killed McIntyre and Bannington, two of the most important people of the firm. Since he survived the fire, he obviously would blame them, so who is left? _

The lightbulb went off and Nick put the car in reverse. He squealed out of the parking lot and turned left, as sirens wailed through the air. The vulpine glanced at his watch and shook his head as he looked at the computer that was on the passenger seat. Days of practiced had honed his skill, and Wilde used one paw to type in a name. After he was done, he glanced at the laptop screen and found an address. Exiting the database, Wilde turned the steering wheel and the mustang squealed as he narrowly dodged a car. The vulpine entered the address, glanced at the screen and turned left onto Broadway, as he headed towards the house of Ray Park.

/

_Zootopia – Ray Park's House_

Ray Park sat bound in his chair, duct tape wrapped around his mouth as a tear of fear rolled down his face. Next to him, a furious Jennifer Snow was bound and gagged also. She struggled to try to escape her binding, with no avail. She glared up at the figure, shooting daggers at him. Justin Rodgers turned and spoke, "There's no use."

Snow grunted, and Rodgers reached down and pulled the tape off her mouth. As soon as it went free, she spoke, "You don't have to do this. You can still make it right. Let us go."

"No can do, Jennifer Snow. We've got some business together." The figure moved to Ray and did the same.

"But I don't know who you are…" Ray stammered. "What did I ever do to you?"

The stranger looked down and spoke, his voice raspy. "You know who I am, Ray."

The cat shook his head. "I'm really sorry… But I don't. I don't know who you are!" he pleaded. "Please… Please don't hurt me."

The stranger kneeled down and stared straight at the cat. He slowly took off the oxygen mask, revealing a half face that was heavily bandaged. With a groan, the stranger undid the bandage and spoke, "Recognize me yet, Ray?"

Ray couldn't tear his eyes away from the stranger's face. On one half of his face, it was normal. Fur and color shone underneath the kitchen light, but the other side of the face, it was all melted. Spots of scarred skin and missing fur was revealed, as his eyelid drooped over his left eye. The stranger smiled, one half resulting in a normal grin, while the burned half showed a fang, protruding underneath his non-existent lips. The stranger sighed and spoke his raspy voice caused by the burned side. "Look at me, Ray… Take a good look. Recognize me yet?"

Ray slowly moved his eyes to the good side and after a couple of seconds passed, the animal became familiar. "Rodgers?" Ray spoke gasping. "But… you're dead."

"I wish I was dead!" Rodgers roared. "You left me to die! You, McIntyre and Bannington! You all left me to die! That building you had us work in was unsafe! I knew it, you knew it, McIntyre knew it and you did nothing!" The stranger stopped and shook his head. Grabbing a hold of the bandage that he took off, Justin re-bandaged himself. "Now… you're going to see how it feels like to have fire dance on your body!"

"But it was an accident." Snow spoke up.

Rodgers turned back to the officer and chuckled softly. "Do you want to know the irony? I knew the truth all this time. Once I found out from well… let's say my partner, they paid me handsomely to hunt them all down… revenge doesn't hurt."

He took a step back and glanced through the window into the driveway. Not seeing anything, Rodgers clicked to himself. "Time's up!" He pulled out his phone, pressed a button and placed it against his ear. As soon as the animal on the other end picked up, Rodgers spoke, "Time's up!"

"I'm almost there, Rodgers!" Please…" Nick pleaded. "Just a few more minutes!"

Rodgers shook his head. "Wilde… did I say one hour and few minutes? NO! I said that you have one hour and you missed the mark. Now say goodbye to your partner!" He hung up the phone and placed it back into his pocket.

The arsonist placed his oxygen mask back on his face and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a lighter and flicked it on. As Snow watched the flame dance on the lighter, she made another attempt.

"You don't have to do this. Let us go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." The arsonist spoke, staring deeply into the small flame. After a couple of seconds, Rodgers threw the lighter against the kerosene-doused curtains with a familiar _whoosh._ Snow moved her face away as the heat of the flames danced up the curtains and made its way to the ceiling. Rodgers stared at both Snow and Park for several seconds, shook his head and turned around. Within a few seconds, he was gone.

Snow moved her arms against the ropes, attempting to loosen it as the cat next to her started to cry. _Damn it! _The vixen looked around for anything to help escape her predicament. Within a few minutes, the flames had already reached the ceiling and was preparing to move around the walls of the living room. The heat was becoming unbearable. Her eyes stung as smoke started to fill the room. An image of the vulpine flashed across her mind as she thought, not realizing that it was the same thought Judy had all those months ago. _Nick… Where are you?_

A gunshot was heard, providing a temporary relief from the roar of the flames. Snow looked in the direction of the gun, straining to see through the smoke that clouded her vision. She found it was becoming difficult to breathe and the vixen looked next to her. The cat's movement was becoming slower. A second gunshot was heard, and Snow snapped back in the direction, glad that she wasn't imagining things. The door broke down and a figure raced towards them through the flames.

Nick Wilde pulled out his pocket knife and headed to Park, undoing his binding. Once he felt the ropes loosen, Park slowly stood out of his chair and after a push by the officer, the cat found himself moving. Within a few seconds, Park was outside.

Nick turned his attention back to his partner, coughing heavily. As he worked on her ropes, he gave a small smile. "Hello there, partner. My, my, you're in quite a pickle."

"Nick…" Snow spoke with a raspy voice. "Now's not the time to joke."

Wilde cut through the remaining strand of the rope and pulled Snow out of her chair. He spun around, coughing heavily and started to move. The flames danced everywhere, their tongues lashing out against the unprotected fur of the vulpine and the vixen. The living room was small, but in Nick's eyes, it was taking them forever to get to the front door.

As the officers made their way to the yard outside, a creaking noise was heard. Nick was the first one to hear it and the vulpine looked up. Flames danced on the ceiling, causing the plaster to break and within a second, the ceiling gave way as the support beam broke. As Nick saw it fall, he pushed his partner, causing the vixen to fall out of the front door, and landing into the grass. The vixen turned around and saw the beam fall in front of the vulpine. Attempting to find her voice, she called out "Nick!"

Her cry was covered by the roar of the fire. Slowly, her energy exhausted, Snow stood up and frantically searched for any trace of her partner. Flames roared as it consumed the house as more creaking noise was heard. Snow looked up and saw the roof start to fall inward.

"Nick!" The vixen cried out again, desperately looking for any sign of her partner.

The cry of his name entered the house and reached Nick's ears. He shook his head and looked around, attempting to find a way to escape. As he did, he couldn't help but think, _dying in a fire, Judy? That would be quite a way for me to go huh?_

Judy appeared in his mind, but instead of her smile, the bunny was scowling. _Yeah, yeah. I know, you don't have to say it. Fire is not for me. Don't worry._ As soon as he finished his thought, the vulpine turned to his right and saw a window. _This is gonna hurt._

Nick pulled out his gun and shot at the window several times, the glass shattering into pieces. Gathering his courage and strength, Nick sprinted towards the outside at full speed. He jumped over the windowsill and expected to land on the yard.

Instead, Wilde found himself flying through the air and turned around, unable to control his body. Expecting the concrete to smash against his spine, Nick's lungs were driven of all air as he hit water with a resounding _splash_.

As soon as his feet hit the bottom of the pool, Nick pushed himself upwards. Once he did, he heard the house crumble, its supports giving way to the dangerous flames. Wilde pushed forward with all of his strength and found the concrete. Heaving himself onto the pavilion, Nick coughed as he spat out water. Footsteps were heard as Snow rushed down from the front yard and helped him up. "Nick…" She started.

"I'm fine" The fox coughed.

"Did you know that there was a pool down here?"

Nick smiled and looked at the water its blue color becoming darker with soot. Finally, he nodded. "Of course I did. I did reconnaissance like a trained officer."

Snow shook her head, relieved. "You're a liar… and impossible" That statement caused another chuckle from her partner. "Where's Rodgers?"

"He's up there. I had to subdue him…. With my gun. I pulled into the driveway and he was standing outside of the house. He didn't hear me coming, but when I opened the door, he tried to run. I shot him in the leg."

Confusion was evident on Snow's face. "But I didn't see him."

The smile disappeared from Nick's face as it was replaced with fury. He pulled away from Snow and made his way up the small hill, leading to the front yard. As he hurried, the vulpine pulled out his gun and rested it in his paw.

Once Nick arrived at the driveway, he looked at the empty lot and groaned. His mustang was still there, but there was no sign of the arsonist. He looked at the spot where Rodgers had fallen and smiled with victory. There was a trail of blood leading down the driveway to the road below.

Nick ran on the paved driveway. It coiled down the hill and through the small forest. As the vulpine jogged, his thought only rested on Rodgers and how he was going to make him pay. The more he thought about Snow being bound to the chair and left to die in the fire, the angrier he got. His fury reached a boiling point when he rounded the corner and saw his target limping in the distance. The vulpine raised his gun and trained it on the fleeing arsonist, his finger resting on the trigger.

"Stop, or I'll shoot!" Nick yelled. "Give it up, Rodgers. It's over!"

_Don't do it, Nick…_ Judy voice entered his mind.

The arsonist ignored the fox and continued his limping. Nick aimed at the back of the head, knowing that with his skill, he could kill the arsonist without even trying. The vulpine took a deep breath, steadied his aim and his finger slowly started to pull the trigger. _Don't do it, Nick…_

_ Don't forget you have animals who care about you… Me, for one._ That was Snow.

Nick cursed softly to himself, and made a last second movement. The gunshot pierced the air and bullet flew out. Within a second, Nick saw the arsonist fall with a cry of pain as his paw impulsively flew up to his shoulder.

Nick walked up, holding his gun in his right paw. Arriving at the fallen arsonist, he saw blood pour out of the bullet wound. Coldness overtook Nick's heart as the vulpine picked up one foot and placed it down against the wound. Rodgers screamed with pain, his howls piercing through the air. Finally, Nick pulled his foot off and the arsonist laid on the ground, groaning. The fox squatted down, holding his gun nonchalantly.

"Well, the hour's up, and I'm here."

Rodgers was silent. Nick rolled his eyes, grabbed him by the collar and pulled the arsonist up to his feet. Putting his gun in the center of Rodgers' back, Nick prodded his captive, forcing him to take several painful steps forward. Rodgers kept one paw on his shoulder. Warm blood seeped out of the wound and between his fingers.

Both animals were silent on their walk back to the house. "Nick?" Snow called out, breaking the still day.

"Down here!"

Snow rounded a tree and when she saw her partner and the officer, the vixen made her way down and met them. She coughed one more time then cleared her scratchy throat. "I see you got him. Good work, Wilde."

Nick flashed her a small smile. "All in a good day's work, Snow."

/

_Zootopia- Nick Wilde's Trailer_

A knock was heard, causing Nick to awake from his slumber. The vulpine slowly got up and walked across the small room and opened the door. Snow stepped inside, and was greeted with a clean trailer. She slowly nodded her head with surprise. "Nick…. What's this?"

"Just another…"

"If you say another change of scenery, I'm going to punch you."

Nick chuckled. "I was going to say, 'just another spring cleaning.'" At Snow's eye roll, Nick laughed again. He walked to the refrigerator and opened it. Grabbing a beer, he turned to his partner and spoke, "Want one?"

Snow sighed. "Yes please." She took the bottle out of Nick's paw and moved to the couch. As she sat down, she opened the lid and took a drink. "So, what happened with Rodgers? Did he talk?"

Wilde nodded. "Sarah was his partner. She bought a bus ticket out of town. When I brought her back to the ZPD, she broke down."

"So what's the story?"  
"She was mad at the whole ordeal between herself, McIntyre and Park. But the real target was not her father, but her mother. She was angry that she had cheated on McIntyre. But the whole case had relied on us thinking that Todd McIntyre was the target. Anyways, she finds out that Justin was still alive and using her wealth, brought him into her service…" Nick took a drink. "Then after that, all the dominoes fell. Rodgers agreed to do it out of revenge because of what happened at the firm."

"So Sarah was using him?"

"Yep."

"Open and shut huh?"

Nick took another drink and looked back at the vixen. She moved to the couch and sat down, putting her purse next to her. The vulpine slowly nodded with a half-smile. "I guess you could say that, if you consider working a case for two days without a break, open and shut." There were silence between the partners.

Snow finally broke the silence. She looked up from her phone and spoke, "You're right, Wilde."

"I am?" Nick asked with confusion.

The vixen nodded. "I can't dictate you or your actions. You can do whatever you think is right and you'll have to accept the results. But what _I_ can do, is to be there for you." She paused and leaned forward, her hands folded together. "When I was in the fire, I was scared, but I knew that you would come for me. But if I died in there…" She shook her head. "I didn't want our last full conversation back here to be one of anger. So, I guess what I am trying to say is…" She leaned back and picked up her phone. "I won't force you to talk to me. We all have our pasts and secrets. You'll share yours when you're ready and I'll share mine when I'm ready. But until then, you're stuck with me."

Wilde sighed and nodded. As Snow looked back on her phone, Nick summoned his courage and spoke, "Well, Snow… I, uh." Nick scratched his head.

Snow looked up from her phone, her turquoise colored eyes inquisitive.

"I just wanted to thank you."

The vixen put her phone down on her leg and gave a small smile. "Thank me? That's a first." She stopped then thought for a second. Finally, she spoke again, "Are you drunk?"

"Maybe a little." Nick nodded. "But no… no. Just let me start over… okay?"

After Snow nodded, the vulpine continued. "When I was going after Rodgers, I was furious. He had taken you and it just… it put me back four months ago. I was powerless to do anything and now… _now,_ I could do something. Then I knew right then that I wanted to kill him. I wanted to put him out of his misery and put everything behind me. I know that he wasn't the killer… but I thought for a second that it would help me feel better." Nick stopped talking and took a drink. He smacked his lips and looked down, staring at the bottle.

Snow wisely didn't say anything. The vixen waited for her partner to continue. After a few seconds, Wilde spoke, "But I stopped because of _you_. Your," Nick chuckled softly, "_annoyance_ helped me realize that I didn't want to jeopardize our friendship."

Snow's eyes shot up quickly and Wilde caught the movement. He groaned and shook his head. "Yes, I said it, Snow. We're friends. Oh, God. Please don't expect me to say it again." After Snow rolled her eyes, Wilde continued, his voice turning serious. "And that made me think of Judy. You were right, Snow. She's the realest thing to happen to me and I want to find whoever did this." He paused and grimaced slightly. The next sentence caught Snow by surprise. "But we will do it by the book, and I swear that to you…. Thank you, Snow… for everything."

Snow was silent for a few minutes. Unable to take it anymore, Wilde spoke, "Come on Snow. I just made a fool of myself for a few minutes and basically confirmed we're friends. Say something."

Snow raised her beer bottle in the air and before taking a drink, smiled. "That's why I'm here, Wilde. To protect and _serve._"


	8. Chapter 7: Innocence Lost

Chapter Seven: Innocence Lost

**Author's Note 1 / 2: This is the longest chapter I've written for this story, and I want to warn y'all that this will be a rough chapter for some people to read. I don't explicitly go into detail out of respect. As you read, you will see what I mean. But I feel that this is one of the most important chapters in this book as it… you know what… I'm not going to spoil it. As usual, a review is always appreciated!**

_Zootopia _

The noonday sun shone over the elementary school in Zootopia, paving a way for another warm afternoon. Trees lined the property of the school, providing momentarily relief as black steel fences faced the street, giving a sense of protection and comfort for the animals within the property. The noise of Zootopian traffic was audible in a distance, but the quiet neighborhood that surrounded the school provided a buffer. Outside of the fence, an elderly bloodhound walked, his eyes cast downwards at the newspaper that he was holding in his paws. He momentarily stopped and using his breath, blew his giant, overladen ear that crept to cover his right eye. After the ear moved away, the bloodhound continued his walk.

The dog rounded the corner of the school property and continued on his way. Within a few minutes, he turned a page in his newspaper, stopped and looked up. The bloodhound looked both ways, and satisfied that there were no incoming vehicles, crossed the street. Once arriving the other side, the dog turned left and continued his walk. His left ear involuntarily started to rise as the noise of an engine approached behind him. The dog slowly turned around, his curiosity overtaking his years of cautious wisdom.

A gleaming red Dodge Charger slowed down to a stop next to the animal. The passenger window rolled down, revealing a driver wearing a grey tweed hat, a pair of aviators and a brown coat. The windows were tinted and it didn't help reveal the driver's face for the elderly dog. Music blared from the radio as the driver spoke above the noise.

"Good afternoon, Pops. Can you tell me whether or not this school is the Marble Valley Elementary?"

Curiosity continued to overcome the dog, prompting him to respond, "Why?"

The driver smiled and held up a bouquet of pink flowers. The bloodhound's keen nose twitched as he tried to identify the plants. Finally, the animal spoke, "My daughter is graduating from Kindergarten. I promised my wife." The driver stopped and grimaced. "I mean, my _ex-_wife that I would be there. So am I in the right place?"

The bloodhound returned the smile and slowly nodded. He rolled up his newspaper and pointed it at the school in front of him. "That's the place, sonny. Parking lot is in the back."

The driver nodded. "Thanks, Pops. Enjoy your rest of the day."

"You too."

The driver rolled up the window to the car and his smile disappeared, replaced with one of disgust. He shook his head, threw the flowers on the chair and looked behind him. No other vehicles approached him and the animal twisted the wheel, sending the car into a U-turn. Instead of following the elderly dog's direction, the driver directed the car past the school and after a few seconds, slowed down. He made another U-turn and pulled up next to the sidewalk, a block away.

The driver looked at his watch and back up. Soon, the blue front doors of the two-storied brown bricked building opened. Two animals, a sheep and a goat strode out. It was clear that they were teachers or school administrators by the way of dress. They were in deep conversation and after walking a few feet, stopped and nodded. The goat moved to her left while the sheep walked in the opposite direction. After arriving at the volleyball net that was set up on the black top, the goat stopped and looked at her watch. As soon as she did, the school bell rang, and within a few seconds, both children and teachers started to stream out, all holding their lunches.

From his vantage point in the car under the shade of the tree, the driver raised his binoculars and scanned the scene before him. He smiled with victory as the binoculars rested upon one animal.

_Bingo_.

/

_Zootopia – the Zootopia Courthouse_

Jennifer Snow pushed the black doors of the courthouse open as she strode outside. The arctic vixen quickly stopped as the warm afternoon washed over her. She groaned and shook her head as the heat caused beads of sweat to appear on her face and start to roll. Snow stopped, hesitating momentarily, pondering whether or not she wanted to go back into the air-conditioned building. Reason overtook her desire to be cool as she continued her walk. Changing her thought, the vixen walked quickly down the stairs outside of the courthouse, her head shaking with disgust as she buttoned her jacket, her eyes transfixed on her paws and on the ground. The sunlight was caught on her golden badge and it gleamed, momentarily blinding her.

Snow groaned again and shifted the badge on her belt to a position where it wouldn't wound her eyes. Once she arrived to the base of the stairs, the vixen turned around and shook her head. _Five years for armed robbery? That's the justice system at work._

The detective turned away and walked past a statue of a deer, his antlers looming large into the sky. Snow had walked past the statue many times in her career to know that it was a statue of the honorary Fred Venison, the first judge of the Zootopian court. _But he wouldn't do anything about that charge._ Snow shook her head again.

As soon as she walked past the statue, the vixen heard pawsteps behind her and a voice call out, "Hey, Snow." She stopped and turned around, finding herself face to face with her partner.

Nicholas Wilde approached her with a smile on his face, his aviators in its usual place, perched upon his nose. His purple tie matched his green shirt and brown pants. After Snow nodded her head in greeting, the vixen looked at the items that he was holding in both paws.

"What's that?"

Nick's smile disappeared as he looked down. "Well…" he started. "They _were_ ice cream. But not anymore." The fox held out a soggy cone in his right paw. "Wet cone?" he asked.

Snow rolled her eyes and shook her head, causing the fox to shrug. "Suit yourself," he said. He opened his mouth and tossed the empty cone into his mouth and started to lick his sticky fingers. As he was doing so, Snow spoke up, "What are you doing here?"

Nick shrugged. "I didn't have a case today. Clawhauser told me you'd be here and I thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing. Thought that ice cream would cheer you up… but court was supposed to be done an hour ago. What happened?"

Snow smiled softly. "That was thoughtful, Nick. Thank you… Yeah, the jury took too long. I owe you for the…" she gestured towards the other cone "empty ice cream."

Wilde threw the other cone in his mouth and started to munch on it. "Don't worry about it." He fished into his shirt pocket and pulled out a napkin and started to wipe his mouth. "So, do you want to talk about what happened in there?"

Snow shrugged. "A guy broke into a gas station and robbed it. I was off-duty, heard it on the scanner and was in the area. This was just before I was transferred to precinct one. They needed me to testify."

Nick nodded with understanding. "Well, now what, Snow?"

The vixen sighed. "Well, I have the next few days off. I need to go home and start cleaning my apartment."

Wilde stopped in his tracks. "Oh? You got a hot date or something?" His eyebrow creeped upwards in a joking manner.

After punching her partner, Snow rolled her eyes and spoke, "Nothing like that, Wilde. My folks will be in town for the Fall Harvest."

Nick sighed and nodded. "That's this weekend. That's right."

"In two days. Today's Thursday." Snow paused. "Are you doing anything?"

Nick shook his head. "I've always hated that holiday." He stopped and pondered for a few seconds, then spoke, "Well, really… I've always hated holidays. Even birthdays."

As soon as Snow spoke, "Why?" she knew that she had hit a sore subject.

Wilde shrugged nonchalantly as both vulpine and vixen continued their walk. "You know… I had a father who was a drug addict. He'd make holidays fun. Our dinners would consist of sandwiches known as "knuckle sandwiches." Ohhh. They were delicious!" Wilde stopped quickly and put his paw on Snow's shoulder and laughed. "Did you know…On my tenth birthday, he broke my limited edition Captain Zootopia piggy bank, and stole all of my money, just so he could score some heroin." Nick sarcastically put his paws on his waist and smiled hugely. "Father of the year!"

Snow slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry Nick. I shouldn't have said anything."

Wilde gave a genuine smile at his partner. "Don't worry about it. He's dead now. Nothing I can do about it except to move on." He folded his arms. "But I never celebrate these holidays or my birthday. I never did and there's no reason to start now. They're just full of bad memories."

"Well, Wilde… You're always invited to my place."

"Oh, I'll be there."

Snow raised her eyebrows with surprise. "Well… that was quick, Wilde. You gonna celebrate?"

"Not in the traditional sense." Nick spread his paws with excitement. "Your parents are in town! I gotta meet them and see what kind of animals they were to produce this…" Nick gestured to her. "Offspring of theirs."

Snow rolled her eyes and groaned. "I'm already regretting this." She continued her walk, ignoring the peals of laughter that erupted from Nick. After he regained his composure, the vulpine hurried up and caught up to his partner. "I'm going to ask them all about your childhood, Snow." He shoved his hands into his pocket and smiled hugely. "You know what? I think I'm going to like holidays after all!"

The phone rang in Nick's pocket and the vulpine chuckled to himself as he fished it out. Pressing the answer button, the vulpine spoke "Go for Wilde."

Snow looked sideways at the fox and became concerned as Nick's smile slowly disappeared. It was quickly replaced with concern. "You sure?" He said. "Have the parents been contacted? Okay… I'm on my way."

Nick hung up and quickly shoved his phone into his pocket. He looked at his partner and spoke, "How close is your car?"

"Just round the corner. Why?"

"I need you to drop me off at my car. It's in the other direction. We have a kidnapping case, some kid got taken from an elementary school. I gotta go now."

Snow nodded and both vulpine and the vixen started to jog. "Do you need help with this?" she asked. Wilde shook his head. "You deserve today off. After putting up with me…" Nick looked sideways at his partner and gave a half-smile. "It's well earned."

/

_Zootopia – Marble Valley Elementary School_

Nicholas Wilde pulled up in front of the dark blue Zootopia Police Department barrier which blocked off the street. After being dropped off at his car by Snow, Nick immediately jumped in and pulled out his phone, balancing it on his right leg. As soon as he started his car, the vulpine had peeled out of the parking lot and weaved through the throngs that were Zootopia's driver. Around halfway to the Elementary school, Nick's phone rang. He pushed the button and immediately placed his phone on speaker.

"Go for Wilde."

"Are you on your way, Nick?" a deep voice responded.

Nick swerved the steering wheel to the right, dodging a car, ignoring the blaring horns. The vulpine quickly glanced upwards at the green street sign that was hanging underneath the stoplight. He nodded to himself and spoke, "Chief, I'm around twelve minutes out. I'm making headway though."

"Good. We need you here now."

"I'm trying. Do we have any new information yet?"

"The kid's name is Andy. He's a leopard." Bogo paused for several seconds, then he spoke, his voice surprisingly losing its gruffness. "He's five years old. Kindergarten."

Nick took a deep breath and nodded to himself. "Okay. Has his parents been contacted yet?"

"Not yet. Get here, Wilde. Now."

"Yeah, yeah. I got you Chief."

Wilde hung up his phone and drove the rest of the way in silence. Now he arrived, shut off the engine and got out of his car. Slamming his door behind him, the fox turned around and quickly glanced at the milling masses before him that were officers. He looked to his right and saw that the back of the school was seen. The playground and the grass yard dominated the area closest to the brown bricked building. Past the playground were the parking lot, then the black fence which lined the property. A driveway that entered the parking lot led through the opened fence and into the street. Close clustered trees and shrubbery lined the fence, aside from the gaping hole that was the school entrance. Wilde nodded to himself as he slowly walked towards the blue police barricade and stopped. Squatting down to a height in which he imagined was a young kid, the fox shook his head. _No one would have seen it happen from the school, especially when there's a lot of shade. It was the perfect cover for the kidnapper. _

Wilde moved around the blue police barricade and instead of heading towards the group where officers were starting to huddle, the vulpine walked through the entrance and quickly jogged to the parking lot. Turning around as his attention was towards the back of the school, Nick quickly winced as the sunlight streamed from the top of the trees.

The vulpine shook his head and walked out of the parking lot. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he quickly spotted the familiar figure that was his Chief talking to two fully, grown leopards. Putting his head down to keep the sunlight out of his eyes, the fox made his way to the group. As he did, he stopped and spun around, taking the time to straighten his iconic purple tie and to tuck his green shirt inside his pants. Once he was satisfied, he turned around again, the movement catching the eye of the Chief.

"And I have one of my best animals working on this case." Bogo was saying, gesturing to the vulpine. Nick walked towards the two adults and as he did, quickly looked over them.

The shorter leopard, obviously a female, wore a pair of black dress pants with a dark navy blue shirt. She raised a Kleenex up to her nose and blew in it. As Nick followed the action, he saw that she was wearing a beaded bracelet around her right wrist. As she lowered her hands, the vulpine's eyes lingered, picking up a diamond necklace that hung around her neck. She leaned into the male leopard who had his left arm around her shoulders, his right paw resting on her right arm. Wilde watched the action and saw that he had an expensive silver rolex watch. He wore a pair of jeans, a blue and white buttoned up, striped shirt that was underneath his white coat.

Upon arriving to the group, Nick took off his aviators and placed them in his shirt pocket, momentarily forgetting the wad of napkins that was bundled in the space. After picking up his aviators from the ground, Nick placed them on his head and extended his paw, his face a picture of sympathy "Nicholas Wilde," he said. "I will do everything I can to bring your son back."

The female leopard did not accept his paw, but the man accepted it. After they shook, he spoke, "My name is Andy and this is Becca." After that, he offered no more words, instead leaning sideways and kissing the woman on the side of her head.

After saying his greeting, Nick looked at Becca and spoke with a soft voice. "I really like your bracelet. Where did you get it?"

At the mention of the piece of jewelry, the woman's eyes slowly misted up again. She spoke, a sob catching in her voice. "Andy Jr. made this for me in kindergarten. He came home and tied it around my wrist and said, 'this will never come off….' And it hasn't." Tears erupted and she turned to the man and wailed, "Oh Andy! Our son!"

Bogo pulled Nick away from the group and with his glasses perched on his nose, spoke, "Andy's a doctor and Becca's a teacher. She teaches here and I've already asked them the routine questions. They have no enemies that they know of and they can't think of who would take their son."

"How do we know that he was taken from this area?"

"Aside that this is the only entrance and exit?" Bogo asked. "We found a light green hat on the ground. The parents already confirmed that it was Andy's."

Wilde folded his arms, and spoke with a low voice. "Did you see the watch and the necklace?" After Bogo nodded, the vulpine continued, "Do you think that this is about money? Someone wants a quick payday?"

Bogo nodded, looking back at the parents. "In kidnapping cases, it usually are." He turned back to the fox before continuing, "Wrap this up and do it quickly. I'll help you gather more information, but when you're done here, I want you to go back to their house to set up a trace in case the kidnapper calls."

"Amber Alert?"

"Just ordered it."

"Okay. Thanks Chief."

"And Wilde?"

"Yeah?"

"Before you get to their house, find all the registered offenders in this area. We'll have some officers canvass the list."

"On it, boss."

The cape-buffalo and the vulpine turned and walked back to the parents. Upon arriving, Bogo cleared his throat as he pulled out his notebook and spoke, "Now Becca, you told me that you taught here. What time did school end?"

"Three o'clock." As soon as the leopard spoke, Wilde looked at his watch. _4:30 pm, _he thought, _I got the call thirty minutes ago… _Bogo interrupted his thought with his deep voice rumbling, "What did your son usually do after school?"

"He comes into my class and plays until it was time to go home. But on Thursdays, his best friend stays with us and we wait until his parents come to pick him up."

"Did you hear anything?"

Becca shook her head. "I was inside the whole time."

Wilde nodded to himself as he turned around, half listening. As he scanned the milling officers and forensics, the vulpine stopped. In a corner, sitting on the sidewalk was another young leopard. After patting Bogo on the shoulder and promising that he would return, Wilde made his way to the gloomy, young animal. Upon arriving, his shadow casted over the kid, causing him to look up.

Nick smiled and gestured towards the empty space next to him. "Can I sit here?"

The young leopard said nothing, but gave a small nod of his head. Wilde sat down and folded his arms. He shook his head and spoke, "It's hot out here, huh?"

The leopard looked back at him for a second, before looking away. Not saying a word, he nodded again. Nick sighed and spoke, "My name is Nick. What's yours?"

"Brian." He answered in a small voice.

"It's nice to meet you, Brian." Nick paused, before continuing, gesturing to all the officers. "Do you know why we are here?"

"Because I'm in trouble." Brian responded, looking away with a face of shame.

Nick shook his head quickly. "In trouble? No…" he scoffed. "Why would you be in trouble?"

Brian sniffed and started to cry. Unsure of what to do, Nick slowly patted the leopard's back. Getting an idea, the fox stood up and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet and found what he was looking for, a packet of 'Junior Detective' stickers. As soon as he peeled the sticker off the paper, he was hit by the memory of Judy. She had peeled off the same sticker and placed it on Finnick, a fennec fox masquerading as a young elephant during a hustle of theirs. Wilde smiled sadly and shook his head. _Only if you were here, Judy…_

"Listen to me," Nick spoke. As Brian turned to look at him, Nick placed the sticker on his chest. "You're a detective now, which means you're on my team." Nick leaned in closer and whispered. "And because you're on my team, you won't get in any trouble. I'll sock anybody who says otherwise, okay?"

Brian gave a small giggle through tears and slowly nodded. This change in demeanor caused Nick to continue, "Why do you think you're in trouble?"

"Because I couldn't find Andy."

Nick was taken aback by the answer. "What do you mean?"

Brian shrugged. "We played hide-and-go seek. We play all around the school. I always find him… but not today." The leopard started to cry again.

_They were playing hide-and-seek… That explains why no one heard anything. _Wilde quickly stood up and he flashed a smile. "Thank you, Brian. You're a wonderful help. Now… can you promise me one thing?"

Brian slowly nodded, curious, prompting the fox to continue, "I want you to be brave for your friend. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Mister Wilde." The response caused Nick to chuckle. He moved away from the school and within a few seconds, found himself in the parking lot.

_If they were playing hide-and-seek, there's not a lot of hiding places back here. _Wilde looked towards the playground. _He could have hidden in the tube or the slide. But it's a hot afternoon, no way would he do that._

Nick looked back at the parked cars that littered the parking lot between his body and the playground. _Maybe in the shade between the parked cars? Not necessarily a good hiding spot. _

The fox turned around and saw the trees and bushes that lined the small bark property around the driveway. _Bingo…_ He quickly walked towards the area and took off his aviators. The shade from the trees provided relief for the sweaty vulpine. _If I was the kidnapper, I wouldn't want attention to myself… which means I would wait for the kid to hide near the entrance so I could make a quick grab._ At that thought, Nick pushed passed the bushes and found that there was a space between the shrubbery and the fence. Squatting down, Nick looked closely at the bark.

There! His keen eyes caught two small indentations on the ground. Wilde smiled to himself. _This was where the kid was hiding._ Something caught the corner of his eye, and Nick turned. Grabbing a large piece of bark, Nick used it to pull the item to himself. It was an Iron Wolf water bottle. Wilde nodded to himself and stood up. He carefully moved, making sure not to step in the indentations caused by the young leopard and kept his eyes on the ground. Wilde hit a small grass patch that was next to the gate of the school's entrance. He beamed with victory as he took out his cellphone and snapped a picture. He looked at the image and was relieved to see that the evidence was clear as day: a large boot print in the muddied grass.

/

_Zootopia – Jennifer Snow's Apartment_

The sunlight disappeared over the horizon, leading to darkness, which shone through the glass window of her apartment. Music blared in the background as Jennifer Snow, decked in a white apron and yellow rubber gloves, scrubbed the kitchen counter. She moved her head with the beat of the song.

Buddy, you're a boy, make a big noise  
Playing in the street, gonna be a big man someday  
You got mud on your face, you big disgrace  
Kicking your can all over the place, singin'

We will, we will rock you

We will, we will rock you

A knock was heard at the door, but Snow missed it the first time. The second knock happened just as the singer stopped. Opting to not turn off the music, Snow dropped the sponge, and took off her gloves. She made her way to the door and opened it, the music escaping the confines of the room and wafting into the hallway.

Nick Wilde smiled. He gestured towards her apartment and spoke, "I didn't think that you were a fan of Queen?"

Snow shrugged. "It was on the playlist shuffle." She said nonchalantly. She opened the door wider and stepped aside, allowing the vulpine to pass through. "What are you doing here?"

It was Nick's turn to shrug. "It's this case, Snow. A kidnapper took a young kid. Five years old."

The arctic vixen shook her head. "That's awful, Nick. Why aren't you with the parents? Shouldn't you be waiting for someone to call?"

"Bogo sent over a replacement. Rizzoli's with them. I'm off for the night, but if they call, Rizzoli can handle it and she'll let me know. I'll be back at it again, tomorrow. Nothing I can do as of right now. There were cameras around the school property, but it was hard to pick up on anything. The only lead that we have is a boot print, which the crime lab determined is a size eleven. But there was nothing else, Snow."

"What about the parents?"

Nick shook his head. "Happily married. No enemies that they can think of. Both serve on the PTA club and they run a bake sale every month with the proceeds going to the school. According to other parents and teachers, they were loved. Bogo even talked to the husband's coworkers and said that they had the same idea. So, the only thing that's left is to wait for him to call."

Snow nodded, folding her arms with thought. Finally she shrugged and spoke, "Well, you are welcomed to help out…" her voice trailed off when Nick continued his walk past the kitchen and into the living room. The vulpine plopped down on the couch with a sigh. "Or you can help yourself to the couch." She spoke to no one in particular.

Nick sighed and closed his eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, placing it on his chest, that way his subconscious would realize that there was something on him, which would prompt him awake if needed. The vulpine folded his hands and placed it on his stomach, as his feet laid on the armrest. Within a few minutes, Nick was fast asleep.

Snow rolled her eyes as she watched her partner slumber. She picked up a small remote and pressed the volume button, lowering the sound of music. She returned to her work, making sure that everything was clean.

The arctic vixen made headway in her cleaning quest. After she was done with the kitchen, she moved to the bathroom, working on the counter, sink, bathtub and the toilet. An hour later, Snow had cleaned up her supplies and was resting on the chair with a book in one paw and a glass of wine in another. She glanced at the slumbering vulpine and shook her head as he had not moved. The vixen looked at the flashing green light that was on the microwave.

10:27.

Snow sighed and stood up, placing the glass on her coffee table, and moved towards the front door. She turned to her left and opened the closet, fishing a blanket out, and upon closing it, the vixen moved back to Wilde. She unfolded the blanket and was careful to not disturb the sleeping vulpine. She placed the blanket on him and moved back to her chair. As soon as she sat down, a knock was heard at the front door, causing the vixen to look quickly.

Wilde had not stirred on the couch and Snow stood up, _who would be here at this time of night?_ She thought. After a couple of seconds of standing still, the knock was heard again, prompting her to move to the door. Once she arrived, she opened it.

Nick's ears shot up as squealing noises were heard. The tired vulpine woke up and looked around quickly, wondering where he was. Chattering noises was carried from the door to the living room, and the vulpine threw his blanket off and stood up. Pocketing his phone, he wondered what the chaos was all about.

As soon as he saw, he immediately smiled to himself. Standing in front of Snow were two older arctic foxes. "Mom? Dad? What're you doing here?" Snow asked as she looked at her watch. "And so late? I thought you were arriving tomorrow?"

The female fox chuckled. "Oh Jenny! We were excited and we wanted to see you. So we took the train this morning and arrived this afternoon. Now, don't you worry, we've already booked ourselves a hotel and we're settled in. We thought that we'd pop by and say hi."

Nick smiled again. _Jenny?_

"But Mom," Snow spoke, "You could've just called. I would've met you at the train station!"

"And ruin the surprise?" A deep voice spoke. That was the older fox. "Your mother insisted that we'd be here. I tried to convince her that it was too late. But…" he gestured around helplessly.

Snow smiled. "Thanks for trying, Dad."

The older vixen pushed her way past her daughter and into the apartment, talking as she was looking back. "Now, Jenny, why don't you put on a pot of tea and tell us everything! Please, spare no details and tell me about your job! Do you have a partner? What's their name? Are they nice?" The mother turned and stopped immediately at the sight of Nick.

Nick smiled and gave a little wave. The mother's face became flushed as she turned back. "Oh my! I didn't know you had guests, Jenny!"

Snow closed the front door and turned around, following her father. She stood between Nick and her parents. "Mom. He's just a friend." She gestured towards Nick and spoke, "This is my partner." Gesturing back to her parents, "These are my parents."

The father extended his paw. "My name's Gordon, and this is my wife, Barbara."

Nick accepted Gordon's paw and smiled broadly. "Nicholas Wilde, but call me Nick." He let go and turned to Barbara, softly taking her paw and shaking it. "And may I say how it's an honor to finally meet the two of you."

Barbara giggled, causing Snow to roll her eyes. She could tell that Nick was enjoying their interaction. Once her mother finished shaking his hand, she turned to her daughter and spoke, "He's cute."

"Mom." Snow spoke with exasperation in her voice.

"Are you…" Barbara stopped and looked from her daughter to the handsome vulpine. "You know?"

Nick roared with laughter as Snow's face turned red. "Mother!" She cried. "No! We're just friends!"

The vulpine gathered control of himself and spoke, "I had just come to ask your daughter's advice for a case of mine." He cleared his throat and spoke, "I was just leaving. Thank you… Jenny."

Snow groaned as Nick erupted with laughter. He moved past his partner, opened the front door and entered the hallway, his joy echoing through the quiet apartment building.

/

_Zootopia – Andy and Becca's House_

Nick Wilde pulled into the driveway in front of a pinkish-beige house. Next to him, a police car sat with a familiar figure, leaning against the driver door. Wilde turned off his engine, got out and leaned back inside, grabbing his coffee from the cup holder. Closing the door, the vulpine moved to where the officer stood. Flashing her a smile, he spoke, "Any word?"

Rizzoli shook her head. "Nothing."

"Thanks Rizzoli. Go get some rest."

The ewe nodded her head. "I'm looking forward to it." She opened the door and started to get into her car. Once her leg got inside the vehicle, she stopped herself. "Hey Wilde?"

At the sound of his name, Nick turned around. When he did, Rizzoli continued, "The parents are besides themselves with worry. They haven't slept a wink last night. Did you find any new leads?"

Nick shook his head with sadness. "Nothing. I swung by Abby and she said that they couldn't find anything from the boot print. But…" he sighed. "For the sake of them, I'm still holding out hope."

The ewe nodded her head. She took her cap off and threw it in the passenger seat. Within moments, Rizzoli was turning down the street and disappearing out of sight.

Wilde shook his head again. He took a sip of his coffee, turned around and walked towards the front door. _Good thing you're not here, Judy…_ His heart ached at the thought of his former partner. He knew that if she was there, she would have gotten herself lost into the case. Nick sighed. _Judy just had that thing… Kids were always drawn to her._

And it was true. No matter where both animals went, young children were always in awe of the rabbit. _And she always made time for them, no matter what…_ Wilde sighed and put down his coffee on the cemented porch. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened a flap and pulled out a stack of items. Ignoring his driver's license, Wilde pulled out a picture, one that he had always carried.

The picture was of the vulpine and the bunny under the shade of the tree in their officer uniforms. Wilde smiled at the memory. Both had served an all-nighter on a protective detail and they were walking back to their respective apartments. Judy wanted to cut through the park and when the sun was rising, she stopped, opting to watch the new day being born. This led to weariness overtaking them. Officer Rizzoli had passed them on her way to work and snapped a picture of them. But it wasn't the picture that Wilde cared about. His thumb passed over the old 'Junior Detective' sticker that Finnick stuck on him when Judy "hustled" the vulpine to join her case. Wilde coughed and placed the picture back into his wallet. _Judy was always good with animals._

The front door opened, snapping the vulpine out of thought. Andy stood tall, his tail swishing restlessly behind him, as he spoke, "Detective Wilde. Please come in."

Nick nodded his thanks, put his wallet in his pocket, reached down and picked up his coffee and went inside the house.

It was huge. The foyer split into two different pathways in a T-junction. Nick looked to his left and saw that it led to the living room. In front of him, Nick saw railings as stairs went up to the second floor. Hanging on the wall in front of him, were pictures of the family. Everyone was smiling and happy. Underneath the pictures was a small table, adorned with one vase and a bouquet of flowers. Andy moved to his left, and the vulpine opted to follow him. The hallway led the two animals into the dining room, where a brown, square table waited for them. At the end of the table, Becca was sitting, her head in her paws. A glass of water was on the table next to her where she absentmindedly picked up and took a small sip.

Andy cleared his throat and spoke, "Becca, honey. Mr. Wilde's here."

"And he's not going to be much help." Becca spoke, with scorn in her voice. "Nobody's doing anything! We're just sitting around and doing _nothing!_" With that statement, the leopard started to cry.

Nick felt awkward standing around. He cleared his throat and spoke, "Ma'am. I can say that we are doing everything we can."

Becca looked up at him with fury. "Chief Bogo said that you were the best guy on the force! If you were here, this means…" Becca looked down at the table. "Oh God! You have nothing!" She started to cry again.

"Ma'am" Nick tried again, but stopped when Andy shot a look at him. The vulpine nodded wordlessly and pulled a chair back. He sat down, and once he did, his phone rang. Becca looked up quickly, concern written over her face.

After placing it on his ear, Nick spoke, "Go for Wilde." He paused as he listened to the animal on the other line. "Are you sure…" He quickly looked at the leopards. "I'm on my way."

As soon as he hung up, Becca spoke up "Who was that? What happened? Why are you leaving?"

"I'm leaving and I'm taking you with me." Nick spoke, his voice tinged with excitement. "We found your son."

/

_Zootopia – ZPD_

"Yeah. But he's not saying anything." Nick Wilde spoke on the phone as he looked through the glass window where the young leopard boy was sitting. When the ZPD found him, they brought him back to the station and placed him in a playroom. To the left of the kid was a miniature, indoor playground. Blue carpet spanned the room and light music wafted through the speakers. "He refused to talk to anyone. Barely even hugged his parents…I'm telling you, Snow. Whatever this kidnapper did, they left a mark."

There was a sigh from the other end. "Is there anything I can do, Nick?"

The vulpine shook his head to himself. "Just enjoy your parents, Snow. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do?" Snow asked, her voice filled with pleading. Suddenly, she dropped down to a whisper. "I mean, Wilde. I love my parents, but they're driving me crazy. I mean, dropping in late last night and assuming that we were even…"

Nick chuckled, cutting his partner off. "Alright, Snow. If you really want to do something, you can come by the ZPD and help me go through witness statements?"

"I'm on my way." Snow quickly responded. The line went silent.

Wilde sighed and put his phone back into his pocket. He checked his watch and saw that it read 10:00 in the morning. The fox scratched the behind of his ear as he heard footsteps behind him. Chief Bogo approached him, and next to the head of the ZPD was a tigress, dressed in a black shirt with a purple jacket and a black skirt. In her paws was a clipboard with a stack of papers.

"Anything new?" Chief Bogo spoke.

Nick turned around and responded, "Nothing. We scoured the area where Andy was found. No tire tread, no pawprints besides for his own. But the doctor checked him out. He's healthy. No signs of physical abuse, but…" Wilde turned back to the playroom. "He's not telling us anything."

Bogo nodded and gestured towards the tigress. "That's why I called her. This is Dr. Sylvia. She's a child psychologist and therapist. We're hoping that she can help us get some answers."

The tigress smiled and looked through the window. "Is that him?" After Bogo nodded, she continued, "I'd like to talk with the parents first and then I'll talk to him." The cape-buffalo pointed at the two leopards sitting on the cough, watching mournfully at their child. "That's them."

"Has the child shown any affection towards his parents when he saw them?"

Nick shook his head. "Becca and Andy, were overjoyed, but Andy Jr's like this…"

"Okay… Does he have a friend or a sibling that he might feel comfortable to be around with?"

Bogo nodded. "Detective Wilde interviewed his best friend, Brian. When Andy was found, we thought we'd give Brian and his family a call. They're actually on their way here now."

Dr. Sylvia nodded and jotted down notes on her clipboard. "Okay. That's good." She spoke. "I'd like to get started." Bogo led her to a brown door and opened it. The tigress walked inside the room and Nick watched as she smiled at Andy. The young leopard met her gaze, but quickly looked away. Dr. Sylvia sighed and moved away from Andy and stood in front of his parents. He couldn't hear anything, but could see their lips moving.

A tap on his shoulder caused him to turn around. Standing in front of him was Jennifer Snow. "Snow? How'd you get here so quickly?"

Snow coughed and muttered something. Nick strained his ears to hear, but couldn't. "What did you say?"

The arctic vixen glared at her partner. "I said I was already driving here when you called. I love my parents… but I needed a break."

Nick chuckled quietly and turned his attention back to the room. "Who's she?" Snow asked.

"Child psychologist."

"I see. Here's hoping she helps Andy open up."

Nick folded his arms and nodded his head as he watched Dr. Sylvia move away from the parents. The tigress slowly kneeled down and asked the young leopard something. Andy didn't respond and the tigress took his silence as an answer. She sat down and continued to talk. "I agree, Snow."

"Mister Wilde!" a small voice was heard. Nick turned around and felt himself fly backwards as tiny hands wrapped around his waist. The vulpine chuckled and looked down. "Brian! My man!" After he untangled himself, he looked at the child and smiled, "Hey, look at you! You're still a detective!"

Brian nodded proudly, showing off his sticker on his shirt. "And he refused to take off his shirt yesterday," a female voice spoke up. "Julie Wells. I'm Brian's mother."

Nick nodded his head. "Nicholas Wilde." He gestured to the fox next to him. "This is my partner, Jennifer Snow." After the animals shook paws, Julie looked through the glass window at the young child. "Poor, Andy. How awful."

"Can I go see him, Mom? Please?" Brian begged. Julie looked up at Nick and Snow. The vixen said nothing, but Nick nodded. He looked at Julie and spoke, "We don't know what Andy has been through, but if you could be careful?"

Julie nodded. "We wouldn't dream of hurting him. Come on Bryan."

As the leopard and her son walked past the vulpine and the vixen, the tigress stood up from her sitting position and left a stack of white paper and crayons on the ground in front of him. She moved and opened the door for the leopard and her son. After nodding politely, Dr. Sylvia walked through the door and closed the door behind her. She spread her arms akimbo and spoke, "He's not saying anything." She nodded in the direction of Andy and gestured towards the paper and crayons. "But with Brian here, I'm hoping that he would be comfortable with drawing what happened. An animal's face, a place… anything."

Wilde nodded. "Thank you, Doctor." After that statement, the tigress walked back into the room. Nick sighed and glanced sideways at Snow, giving a small smile when he felt her paw rub comfortably on his back. "It'll be fine, Nick. We'll find him."

"I hope so, Snow… I hope so."

The vulpine turned his attention back to the room. Dr. Sylvia was standing with the parents and Julie Wells. On the ground, Brian spoke, his mouth moving and Andy sat looking at him. As Wilde watched, Andy's lips did not move, but instead the leopard turned his head away from his friend until his eyes rested on the detective. After a few seconds, Andy turned his attention back to his best friend. Nick moved his attention to the other leopard, and a small smile appeared on his face. Brian had peeled off his sticker and stuck it on his friend's shirt. Andy looked down on his own shirt and back at Brian. Finally, his mouth moved, causing Dr. Sylvia to turn around with surprise.

"Hey, Snow… Something's up." Nick spoke with excitement. The tigress kneeled down in front of Andy. After she said something, Andy moved his attention away and back onto the vulpine, raising a finger and pointing at him. The child psychologist looked in the direction of his finger and after seeing it rest on Nick, nodded. She stood up and left the room.

As Dr. Sylvia approached him, Nick anxiously asked, "Did he say something? Did he tell you anything?"

To his disappointment, the tigress shook her head. "But," she spoke up. "He wants to talk to you, and only you. So, I'm going to clear this room that way you, Andy and Brian can be together."

"Me?" Nick asked incredulously. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Maybe it had to do with Brian. Or maybe you had an impression on him. But anyways, don't waste this opportunity. Go in there."

Nick sighed and nodded his head. "Alright. But can you send the parents to Clawhauser? He's a giant cheetah in the lobby. I don't want them here if this doesn't work out. He'll take care of them." He asked. After the tigress nodded her head, the vulpine moved towards the brown door, opened it and stepped inside with Dr. Sylvia in tow. The tigress immediately made her way to the group of adults and after a few minutes of explaining, they all nodded and left the room.

Nick shoved his hands into his pockets and slowly approached the forlorn leopard. He cleared his throat and spoke, "Hey, Andy? Can I sit down?"

After Andy nodded, the vulpine sat down across from him in a criss-cross applesauce style. Nick coughed nervously and nodded in greeting towards Brian, and spoke. "So, Andy. I heard that you wanted to talk to me?"

After getting no response from the young boy, Nick tried again. "That's okay. We don't need to talk. We can draw instead. Do you want to do that?"

The leopard shrugged and Nick took that response as an answer. He picked up a blank white paper and gave it to Brian. After opening the crayon box, the vulpine set it down between them. "So Andy. Since we are drawing here…. I have to warn you… I am a bad drawer!" Nick moved his eyes upwards, hoping to catch a response. Andy didn't do anything except look at Nick's paper with interest. "I mean… even my stick-animals don't even look like real animals." Nick continued. "They usually come out look like… this." Nick turned his paper around and showed the young leopard a crudely drawn stick-animal. "That's me!"

Nick's heart leapt as that got a response from the child. A small smile appeared on the young leopard's face. "No it isn't" he spoke.

"What are you talking about?" Nick said with mock pain in his voice. "This dashing stick-animal is most definitely me!"

Andy giggled softly. "That stick-animal is ugly!" He spoke. The leopard laughed again at the sight of mock incredulousness on Nick's face. The vulpine rolled his eyes and spoke, "Alright… let me try again." He grabbed another paper.

Outside of the room, Snow looked through the window, a smile on her face. She had seen the child laugh and talk. _Keep going, Nick…_ she thought. _You got this._

"Well, since you're making fun of my artistry now, Andy…" Nick spoke with a playful voice. "I'd say that we are friends, aren't we?" The vulpine looked at the young leopard's shirt and spoke, "And I guess Brian here put you on my team! If you're on my team… what happens?"

Brian spoke up, "We're not in trouble and you'll sock anyone who says otherwise!"

Nick nodded. "That's right. I'll sock anyone who says otherwise!" Using this to his advantage, the vulpine pressed on. "Do you want to tell me what happened yesterday? Do you know who you went with?"

Andy shook his head. "Do you know what animal he was?" Nick tried again. With a soft voice, the leopard responded, "A hyena… he was a hyena"

Nick had to stop himself from jumping up with excitement. Gathering his joy under control, the fox continued, "A black hyena huh? Do you know his name?"

The boy shook his head again. Nick put a crayon back inside the box and pulled out a different color. "Okay… That's fine, Andy. Thank you for telling me. You're doing a great job!" Nick coughed softly, then continued, "What did this hyena want? Did you do anything with him?"

Andy quickly looked down and started to cry. Nick impulsively reached out to touch him and immediately stopped. He looked behind him and saw Dr. Sylvia shaking her head quickly. "Do not touch him." She mouthed. "Do NOT touch him."

Nick nodded quickly and returned his attention back to the paper. "Hey… It's okay. You're not in trouble. If you tell me what happen, I'll find the hyena and I'll sock him!"

Through tears, Andy gave a small giggle. He looked up and quickly wiped his eyes. "He… he… he wanted to play a game."

Fear and anxiety was caught in Nick's throat, but he maintained an expression of concern and care._ Oh Judy… Please do not have this happen again…_ He swallowed quickly, self-conscious that his paws were shaking. "What game did you play?" Nick asked.

Andy looked at the vulpine through tears and shook his head again, looking away with shame. "Hey. Andy… you don't have to tell me." Nick spoke. "Can you draw it for me?"

The young leopard looked up and back down at the empty paper. He nodded quickly and grabbed the box of crayons. As the leopard was drawing, Nick kept his focus on his own picture, afraid that if he was snooping, it would cause the child to become afraid.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He looked up and turned his head to the window. Snow was holding up her phone and was gesturing to it. Nick quickly nodded and pulled it out, reading the text message. "Dr. Sylvia says you're doing a good job. She's going to check in with the parents. Keep it up."

The vulpine put the phone back into his pocket and nodded quickly. He turned his attention back to his picture and waited for Andy to be done.

Outside of the room, Snow took a sip of her drink. After she had sent the text to her partner, she quickly went downstairs to the lobby where Clawhauser had a cup of coffee waiting for her. The vixen nodded her greeting to the group of adults, grabbed the cup and made a beeline up the stairs and back to the window. Once she arrived, she took a sip and watched the scene unfold before her.

Nick put his final touches of his picture and had put his crayon back in the box. He turned his attention to the child and saw that Andy was finished. The young leopard put the crayon down on the ground, looked at Brian and back at the vulpine. He flipped the paper over and slid it to the fox. Nick picked up the paper and saw Andy's drawing.

The anxiety and fear that was in Nick's throat had moved down to his stomach. His back stiffened, and his tail straightened. His ears perked upwards dangerously, as the fox felt fury boil in the pits of his stomach. Fury and rage overwhelmed his emotions, logic and reason. But as soon as he felt the ugly head that was fury, Nick immediately put it under control. Forcing a smile on his face and a soft voice, the vulpine spoke, "Thank you Andy. Can I keep this? I need this to find the hyena."

Outside the room, Snow saw her partner's mouth move and Andy nodding his head. Within a few seconds, Nick stood up, folded the paper in half and strode across the room, opened the door and gently closed it behind him. As soon as the vulpine closed the door, Snow opened her mouth. Before any words could come out, Nick strode forward and closing his paw into a fist, and drove it onto the wall.

Snow emitted a curse of surprise. "Nick! What was that for?"

Nick paced back and forth, oblivious to the pain that erupted from his right paw. "I can't believe this is happening." He muttered. "This can't be happening again." He ran his left paw through his fur on the top of his head.

"Nick… Talk to me."

Wordlessly, the fox turned around and walked back to the vixen. He handed her the paper, and Snow unfolded it. As soon as she did, she immediately wished she hadn't. She became sick to her stomach and she looked up at the fox. "We need to catch him."

"And I don't know about you Snow… But I'm going to kill him." With that statement, Nick turned around and was gone.

/

_Zootopia_

The moonlight glowed into Nick Wilde's mustang as he drove. The phone rang on the passenger seat for the umpteenth time. Nick sighed and looked down as the name, JENNIFER SNOW, appeared on his screen. The fox shook his head and ignored it. Keeping his bandaged right paw on the steering wheel, Nick rested his elbow on the driver door and leaned on his paw, sighing deeply.

_ Judy… I can't go through this again. You helped me through it once… but you're not here anymore._

The light turned green and the sound of blaring horns snapped him out of his stupor. Nick pressed on the gas and continued on his way.

_Not another child, Judy… I can't see them suffer again._

The phone rang again, bringing Nick's attention to the screen. This time it read, CHIEF BUFFALO BUTT. Wilde sighed and pressed answer. "Go for Wilde."

"Where are you, Wilde?"

"Driving."

"Well, you need to come back to the ZPD."

"I don't think I can, Chief…. You know what happened the last time I did this case."

"I am aware of that Wilde, but I need you now!"

"Why?"  
After he heard the answer, Chief Bogo hung up. Nick drove in silence for a few seconds, then screamed loudly, his pent up fury and rage being released. He punched the steering wheel with his injured paw, winced momentarily, then twisted his steering wheel to the left, and did a U-turn across the intersection, causing more cars to blare their horns.

He surpassed the speed limit, and arrived back at the ZPD headquarters. After pulling into a parking spot in the garage, Nick made a beeline to the third floor. The elevators dinged open and the fox quickly walked through the hallway, turned a corner and was met with Jennifer Snow, her arms crossed.

"When?" Nick demanded.

"An hour ago."

"Same animal?"

"We think so. We've updated the Amber Alert and Bogo is having a press conference. He's also establishing a tip line."

"Who is it?"

Snow pulled the folder from underneath her arm and opened it. "Her name is Crystal, and you guessed it. She's a leopard."

Nick was greeted with a bright blue eyed, smiling young leopard. He shook his head and read her information. "Marble Valley Elementary school. This is his hunting ground. How did he get her?"  
"After school program. Mom took the girl to the car and when the girl forgot something, she went back inside. Wasn't gone for very long, and when she came back, no more Crystal."

Nick took a deep breath and controlled his rage. He realized that his left fist was clinching, causing the picture to crumble. He let go of the tension and spoke, "Same age?"

"Same age, same class." Snow responded. She paused for a couple of seconds, then spoke. "Hey, Nick… It seems like you're… taking this personally. Do you want to take time off? I can handle this."

The vulpine took several deep breaths and shook his head. "I'm fine, Snow."

"No you're not!" Snow proclaimed. "There's this case, and the…" she lowered her voice, "the case with the Silver Clan. You're going to pieces!"

"Are forensics at the school?" Nick asked, ignoring his partner. After she nodded, Nick turned around.

"Where're you going?" Snow called out.

"To the school!" Nick cursed. "You're welcomed to come with!"

Snow sighed and looked at her watch. She nodded to herself and followed the enraged vulpine.

The two foxes rode the elevator down to the parking garage in silence. But as they walked to Nick's mustang, Snow pulled her phone out and dialed in a number. After the other end picked up, the vixen spoke, "Mom? I'm doing okay… I just wanted to let you know that work is keeping me here." She glanced at Nick and nodded. "Okay. I'll be sure to tell him. Okay… I love you too. Bye."

The vixen put her phone back into her pocket and climbed into the car. As Nick turned on the engine, she glanced sideways and spoke. "My mother said hello, and that she hoped you had a good day."

The vulpine only nodded his head in acknowledgement. Nick maneuvered his mustang out of the garage and onto the road. As the two animals drove in silence, Snow shook her head. The silence was deafening.

"Okay." Snow spoke. "I'm tired of trying to get information out of you, Nick. So I'm just going to say it to you straight." Nick didn't respond, which prompted the vixen to continue, "What the hell was that, earlier?" Snow demanded. "What did the wall do to deserve that treatment? I know what he did was horrible, but you need to keep your emotions in check!"

Nick didn't answer. Instead, he sniffled and that caught the vixen by surprise. "Nick?"

The vulpine cleared his throat and looked sideways at his partner and wiped his eyes. He shook his head and resumed his focus on the road.

"Nick… It's me. Talk to me, please. That's the problem with holding on, because you can't hold onto it forever. It'll destroy you and everyone who cares about you. The only way to truly be free is to tell someone about it. Nick…" Snow placed her paw on his arm, causing the vulpine to look sideways. He saw concern and gentleness behind her piercing turquoise eyes.

Finally, he sighed and nodded. A couple of seconds of silence passed, and he spoke, "Judy and I was working a case together, conjoined with the ZBI, the Zootopian Bureau of Investigation, and we organized a sting. We found human cargo being smuggled through Tundratown, meant to head outside of the city. When we rescued everyone, most of them being children, one of the kids had a sister. She said that her sister was being held by the leader, Xavier Longtooth."

"It took several days, but we found them, Snow. We found them, but the child…" Nick paused, staring off into the distance as he drove, his voice cracking. "She couldn't live with it. Committed suicide several weeks later."

"Nick." Snow started.

"But that wasn't the worst part." Nick shook his head. "No… the worst part was when I had a lead, but I didn't follow up on it." The fox punched his steering wheel lightly. "If I had _just_ followed up on it, then…. Then we'd probably would have found her sooner… before the horrible things."

"Her suicide put me out of commission for several weeks. I almost thought of quitting the force. Thought I wasn't up for the job… but it was Judy." Nick smiled. "Judy convinced me to stay."

The vulpine turned left, and after he completed it, Snow inquired, "What did she say?"

"She said, _You have a heart of gold, Nick and it is that heart that will make you the best officer this department will have ever seen. Continue listening to your heart and others will see the good in this world_..." Nick looked sideways at the vixen. "Kinda sappy I know."

Snow shook her head. "Nah… I think it's sweet. Judy sounds like a very sweet animal." The vixen shook her head with amazement. _This is the second full information I got from him!_

Nick smiled again. "You would've liked her." He turned right again and entered the parking lot of the school. The two foxes were greeted with lights flashing and animals milling around the area.

After getting out of the car, Nick and Snow made a beeline towards a familiar figure. "Abby?" Nick asked. "This is the first time I've seen you out of your hole!"

The wombat giggled. "Oh Mistah Wilde! This is all too exciting! It's so good to see you… oh and you too Miss Snow!"

"Good to see you too, Abby. What do we have?" Snow asked.

"We have very distinct tire marks here." The wombat answered, leaning down with her huge spectacles. "I'll have to take the pictures we took to the lab. It'll help us figure out what kind of tires, then what kind of vehicle."

"Can you tell by just looking at the asphalt?" Nick inquired. To his disappointment, the wombat shook her head. "Maybbe if it was dirt, not asphalt. The dirt also would have indentations from the weight of the vehicle. The deeper the indentations, the heavier. Speaking of dirt…" Abby piped up. "My brother is a monster truck driver, doncha know! He's driving all over the place and kicking up all sorts of ruckus!"

"Abby…" Nick politely tried to interject

"That was like my brother." Abby giggled. "He was a loud wombat that 'un! When he was a little babbie, he would keep mah parents up allllll night long!" Nick winced as her southern drawl became stronger.

"Abby!" both Nick and Snow spoke at the same time. The wombat was taken aback by the outburst, and she pushed her spectacle up on her nose. "I'm so sorry… Anyways, I can't tell you what kind of car it is until I get back to the lab and the security cameras were down."

"Why?"

"Today was maintenance day." Abby responded. "At least that's what I overheard from her." She pointed towards a school administrator talking to another officer.

Nick smiled and nodded his head. Both the vulpine and the vixen thanked the wombat and turned around. As they walked back to the mustang, Nick threw his hands up with despair. "Now we're never going to find him."

"Don't worry, Nick. The crime lab will work on it as fast as they can and they will get back to us. I promise."

The vulpine shook his head as he opened the door to his mustang. "But that won't be quick enough… No. We need to do something, and we need to do it now!"

Nick started to get into his car, but a voice behind him stopped his motion. The fox looked up and saw an elderly bloodhound approaching him. "Excuse me officer! I think I can help."

The vulpine sighed and stood up. "Good evening sir. What can I do for you?"

"I couldn't help but overhear you plight with your partner…" the bloodhound started. "It's a curse of having these oversized ears." He laughed to himself. Snow had gotten out of the car and moved to Nick's side. She nodded politely and gestured him to continue.

"Anyways… I heard about what happened here, about the boy being kidnapped from this school. Of course, my heart and thoughts went out to him and his family. But… after I saw that Chief give the press conference about the girl, I just remembered what happened." The bloodhound smacked his forehead with his palm. "Curse my memory! It's just not what it used to be!"

"But…" he continued. "I was on my walk yesterday morning, outside of this here school. A car drove up and the driver… the driver asked me whether or not this was Marble Valley school. I said 'why?' And he said that he was here for his daughter Kindergarten graduation."

Nick smiled politely. "That's all well and good. But what does that have to do with this?"

"That's my point!" The bloodhound exclaimed. "The kindergarten graduation is not for another month!"

At that response, Nick and Snow exchanged glances. The vulpine turned back to the dog and spoke, "Think… do you remember what he looked like, what kind of car he was driving and was there anything inside the car that could point us in his direction?"

The elderly bloodhound shook his head. "I ain't good with cars and… Like I said… my memory is not as good as it used to be. But… I can tell you that it was a red car… and…" he stopped talking. His eyes closed and his nose twitched. "He had flowers…. Roses. I believe and as for what kind of animal he was…" the bloodhound opened his eyes again and chortled. "He tried to hide his scent, but… you can't escape my nose!"

"Sir… the animal?" Snow asked.

"Right, right. He was a hyena."

At that answer, Nick quickly looked at his partner and spoke, "We need to go, now!" He turned and looked at the dog. "Thank you so much, Pops… for your help!"

Both the vulpine and vixen climbed into the car. As soon as Snow sat down in the passenger seat, she pulled out her phone and accessed the police database. Wilde reached behind him and grabbed his laptop and did the same. A few minutes passed, the silence breaking by the sounds of the clicking of the keyboard. Finally Nick spoke up, "We have a total of thirty generic red cars registered to a hyena."

Snow nodded. "And we have fifteen florist shops in a ten mile radius from here. But…" she muttered "Four of those shops sold pink roses." She looked up at Nick. "You take two and I'll take two?"

After Nick nodded his head, Snow gave him the phone numbers of the shops. The vulpine looked at his watch and breathed a sigh of relief. It was still evening, but majority of the stores were still open. A few minutes passed and Nick shook his head as the first store refused to believe that he was an officer. _Well, that makes sense, _he thought. _Be better if we were there in person_.

After the phone rang for a few seconds, a tired voice spoke, "Glass Hills Florals. This is Margaret. How can I help you?"

"Hello Margaret. This is Officer Wilde with the Zootopia Police Department. I am investigating a case of mine and your shop may be involved. Did you have a hyena come inside the last few days and buy a bouquet of pink roses?

"Good evening Officer!" Margaret's voice picked up with excitement "I heard all about you. You're the fox who helped that bunny catch Bellweather!"

"I am."

"I'm glad to be of service, officer! Let me check."

A few minutes passed, and Margaret responded, "We did have a hyena with the name of Larry Sanchez come through last week. We delivered his roses to his house."

With that response, Nick quickly smacked Snow, causing her to look at him with indignant pain. Wilde pointed at the phone and Snow nodded with understanding. She hung up and waited.

"And what would that address be?"

Nick paused for an anxious few seconds. Finally, he pumped his hands and smiled, "4562 Vista Hill Drive, in Zootopia?" He looked at Snow and the fox was already typing it into her phone. "Thank you so much, Margaret. You've been a blessing!"

Wilde smiled with victory and put his phone back into his pocket. He looked at Snow with anticipation. The vixen spoke, it's only five minutes away from here. Backup is fifteen."

"We don't have fifteen minutes, Snow." Nick spoke then he smiled at a memory of the monkey kidnapping case. "Remember Snow… you're my…"

"I know." Snow interjected. "I'm your backup." She rolled her eyes.

With that said, Nick put his car into gear and sped out of the parking lot, taking a right and drove to Larry Sanchez's house.

/

_Zootopia – Larry Sanchez's House_

Nick Wilde turned off the headlights as the wheels crunched against the gravel driveway, his eyes scanning the house. The lights were off and it seemed like no one was home. Disappointment, mixed with fury threatened to overtake him, but Nick hurriedly got his emotions under control. He quickly turned his mustang and guided it into a grassy patch off the road. He felt Snow nudge him with her elbow. As he looked at her, he saw that she was pointing at something. Wilde followed her finger and saw what she was looking at: a red Dodge Charger. _Someone is here…_ he thought to himself. Forcing himself not to smile of relief, Nick nodded silently and turned off the engine.

Both foxes quietly got out of the car and moved to the trunk. Nick popped it open, reached inside, grabbed a flashlight and handed it to Snow. Snow nodded her thanks and after Nick closed the trunk, followed him to the front door. He stopped and with a paw, reached up and grabbed the door knob. Twisting it, the fox was surprised to see that it was unlocked. He quickly placed a finger over his mouth, and Snow nodded with agreement.

Nick opened the door quietly, and clicked on his flashlight. The beam illuminated the living room, revealing two couches, a coffee table and a TV on a stand. To the left of the living room, there was a dining table and a kitchen island. Nick quickly turned left as Snow kept her attention on a door on the right side of the wall, next to the TV.

Nick went through the dining room and into the kitchen. He quickly cleared the places and walked to the door where Snow stood. Snow had a paw on the door knob and took a look at the vulpine. "One… Two… Three" Snow mouthed. On three, the vixen pulled the door open, and Nick walked through, his flashlight shining the interior.

It was a set of stairs that led to the second story. With the left wall to his back, Nick kept his flashlight and gun trained on the side of the stairs as it moved upwards to reveal a second space. There was three more couches and a TV, hung on the wall. There was a door to his left, and a door straight across from him.

Nick felt a pat on his back, and he turned his head to look at his partner. Snow shone her flashlight on a piece of clothing on the couch. As Nick saw it, he took a deep breath and exhaled. _That shirt is the same pink shirt Crystal was wearing…_

A whimper caught his ear, and Nick looked back. Snow nodded her head, affirming that she had heard it to. Pointing with her head, Snow looked at the door that was to Nick's left. Snow took position and grabbed the door handle and after a count of three, she pushed it open, sending the vulpine through.

It was the master bedroom. Nick's flashlight revealed a large bed, and clothing scattered across the floor. He shook his head and lowered his gun.

Another whimpering noise was heard, and Nick moved his flashlight, until it was trained on a second door. The fox moved to the double doors and Snow took position. Like the last two times, the trained officers counted down and Snow pushed it open, revealing it to be a bathroom. The whimpering noise became louder and Nick moved his attention to it.

_It's coming from the bathtub… _Nick walked closer, his flashlight shining over the tiled floors of the bathroom. He looked into the bathtub and Nick breathed a sigh of relief. He looked back to Snow and spoke, "Turn on the lights."

Snow obeyed and did so, the lights brightening the once darkened room. Nick turned off his flashlight and spoke with a soothing voice. "Hello… Is your name Crystal?" he asked. "My name is Nick and I'm a cop."

The half-naked leopard, dressed in only her underwear, opened her eyes, her piercing blue eyes shining underneath the light. Once her eyes rested on Nick, she gave a scream of fright. Nick raised his paws and spoke, "Hey. It's okay." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge. "I'm a cop… It's alright." The fox reached into the bathtub and dropped it, the badge hitting the porcelain tub with a clatter.

The leopard looked at the badge and back at Nick. She picked up the badge and inspected it. Finally, she looked behind him and saw a female fox. Nick followed her eyesight and smiled. "That's Snow. She's my partner. It's okay. You're safe now… Do you want to come out of that bathtub?"

Crystal nodded silently, and Nick held his paw out. After she took it, the leopard stood up and placed her feet at the edge of the bathtub, her other arm stretched outwards.

Understanding what she wanted, Nick leaned in and picked her up. Holding her to his waist, Nick spoke, "Did the bad hyena hurt you?"

The leopard shook her head, wiping the tears from her face. "He… he… He took my shirt and my… my pants off. But after that, I was here and… he ran away."

Nick sighed and slowly nodded again. "Do you know where he went?"

"He went tha…" the leopard stopped talking. Instead, her words became a scream. Snow immediately turned around as she saw terror written over the young leopard's girl face. The hyena stood behind her, a pan in one hand, and brought it down to strike at the fox.

Responding quickly, Snow caught his arm with her left paw and coiled her right paw into a fist, and slammed it against his stomach. The hyena coughed heavily and fell down backwards. Crystal stopped screaming and buried her face into Nick's shirt, whimpering with fear.

Nick breathed again, controlling his adrenaline and nodded. "Snow." He said. "Take her won't you and make her comfortable in the car. I'll be right out with this guy."

Snow nodded and after Nick transferred Crystal to her, she turned around and hurried out of the room. The hyena laid on the ground, coughing for several seconds. Nick walked up to the fallen pedophile and stood over him, his arms crossed. He shook his head, walked back to the bathtub and grabbed his badge. After putting his badge into his pocket, he picked up the hyena and pushed him into the master bedroom. The hyena flew and went sprawling onto the carpeted floor. Nick turned around, grabbed the frying pan and walked back to the hyena.

After a couple of seconds, the fox smiled. "You know what they say?"

The hyena didn't answer, unsure where it was going. "Never bring a knife to a gunfight." Nick finished his sentence. He twirled the frying pan in his paw and nodded. "I think that'd apply to frying pans also."

The vulpine stood over the hyena and shook his head, his voice turning into a dangerous snarl "You make me sick." He brought the frying pan down, repeatedly.

Outside the house, Snow wrapped the shivering leopard with a blanket that she found in Nick's trunk. When she was done, she stood up and searched questioningly for her partner. After a few minutes passed, Nick finally emerged from the house, with the hyena in handcuffs.

As they got closer, their features became more visible. Nick walked, a stoic expression written over his face, but as Snow looked at the hyena, she gave an inaudible squeak of surprise.

The hyena was worse than he looked. A swollen left eye was prominently displayed. His nose was crooked to the right, and his mouth was bloodied. As Wilde got closer, Snow looked at him. "What happened?"

Wilde shrugged nonchalantly. "He tripped down the stairs."

Snow shook her head, and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Nick, you stupid fox!" Snow cursed. "That's not how we do things! Why did you do this?"

Nick didn't respond and Snow nodded to herself. "It's because of this Xavier Longtooth? Your rage for him was taken out on this guy? He's a horrible animal, but he didn't deserve it!"

Nick glanced at her. "I don't care."

"Nick… that's the attitude that's going to get you killed! I'm tired of this, Nick… I thought you were doing better. Ever since the fire, I thought we bonded."

The vulpine said nothing, which caused Snow to throw her hands up with despair. "Give me him and take her back to the ZPD. Another squad car will be here in three minutes." As soon as she grabbed him, she looked at the fox. "And Nick? Remember what I said… when you hold onto things, you get destroyed. When you get destroyed, you kill off others that you care about. When will that get through your thick skull? AND… AND, please for the love of every divine of each and every religion out there, do _not_ bring me down with you."

Nick looked at her and silently turned around. He got into the car and said something to the leopard behind him. Within a few minutes, the car backed out of the driveway and disappeared into the night.

/

_Zootopia – Jennifer Snow's Apartment_

"And he said 'don't look at me! She makes her own lunch!"

Jennifer Snow laughed at the punchline of a joke delivered by her father. Through her merriment, a knock was heard on the door. Holding a glass of wine in her left paw, Snow made her way to the door, and opened it.

Nicholas Wilde smiled with greeting, holding up a bottle of Chardonnay. A few seconds of silence passed between them and the fox cleared his throat. "I didn't know what to bring, so I bought this," he held it up, and read the label "Oh so delicious Chardonnay." He chuckled nervously. He looked back at Snow who didn't return the smile. "I'm so sorry. This was the most expensive thing I could find and I got it from a gas station. I mean… you saw my trailer."

Snow rolled her eyes, secretly relieved that Nick showed up. She reached out and grabbed the bottle from the fox's paw and stepped aside, gesturing towards the apartment. "Thank you." Nick whispered. As the fox stepped inside, Snow closed the door behind her.

"Nick!" Barbara called from the kitchen. "You're just in time! We're about to have dinner!"

Nick shook Gordon's paw and nodded at the direction of Barbara. "And it smells delicious. Like it's been handcrafted by an angel such as yourself."

Snow rolled her eyes and Barbara laughed. "Oh stop it, you." She scolded. "Now gather at the table. It's time to eat!"

An hour passed after the four animals sat down. Snow sat across from Nick, as everyone talked, laughed and chatted. Nick rolled with laughter as Barbara explained the time when Snow became a cheerleader in high school. Unable to control his mirth, the fox looked at his partner, who was red-faced. But Nick's joy reached a boiling point when Snow's mother pulled out a picture from her purse and revealed the fox to have a horrible looking perm. At the sight of the picture, Nick nearly rolled off his chair and onto the floor.

When everyone was done with dinner, Nick volunteered to clean everyone's plates. As he washed and put away the dishes, Snow refilled everyone's glasses with wine. Once Nick rejoined the table, Barbara immediately spoke up, "How's it going with your case?" she inquired. "Did you solve it?"

Nick nodded. He looked at Snow and smiled. "We did! We found and caught the bad guy last night."

"Oh wonderful! Just wonderful!" Barbara nodded with joy. "And Nick… do you have someone in your life?" She asked innocently.

Nick's joyful demeanor immediately disappeared as his back straightened and his smile vanished. Snow's eyes shot up from her drink and onto Nick. "Mom!" she whispered, shaking her head. Barbara looked at her daughter and upon receiving the message immediately became flustered. "I'm so sorry. I don't know why I asked that question, Mr. Wilde. It's not any of my business."

Snow sighed with relief, but her ears shot up with surprise when she heard Nick respond, "It's alright, Mrs. Snow…. The truth is…" he sighed. "I used to have someone. But…" he shook his head with sorrow, his voice laced with pain. "Before I could tell her about my feelings, she passed away."

"I'm so sorry, Nick. What was her name?"

Nick smiled. "Her name was Judy…." Several seconds of silence passed. Nick took a deep breath and looked at his watch. "I'm really sorry… _Jenny_. But look at the time. I've got to go." He stood up from the table abruptly. "Barbara, Gordon… It was very nice to meet you."

Nick turned around and pushed his chair into the table. He made his way to the door and opened it. Nick had stepped into the hallway when he heard footsteps behind him and turned around. "Have a good night, Nick." Snow spoke, smiling.

"You too, Snow… You know, I love your parents."

"Me too." A beat passed and Snow spoke again, "You know… I'm really sorry when my mom asked about Judy. I know that you didn't want to talk about her."

"It's alright, Snow." Nick spoke, giving her a half-smile. Snow was taken aback by that answer. "What's with the change of attitude?" She inquired.

Nick nodded slowly and looked down the empty hallway. He looked at her and spoke, "A wise friend once told me that if I held onto something for too long and obsessed over it, it would destroy me. You're right Snow… the guilt that I've been carrying _has_ been destroying me and I promise that I will make it right… I swear."

With that statement, Nick started to walk down the hallway. Snow's voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned around and she approached him with a piece of paper that was folded. "What's this?" he asked.

"When you left ZPD after your interview with Andy… he picked up another paper and drew on it. He gave it to me to give to you and… Nick…" Snow tightened her grip on the paper. "Let this be a reminder that Judy will always be proud of you."

Snow turned around and walked several feet and into her apartment. Nick heard the door close and lock behind her. He turned around and slowly walked down the hallway towards the elevator, unfolding the paper.

The paper was a crudely drawn picture of two short leopards and a tall orange fox standing on a blue ground. An image of what appeared to be a small playground rested in the background. Everyone in the picture was smiling, and the fox's arms were around the young leopards. The writing underneath the animals spelled out the names: ANDY, NICK, BRIAN.

Nick felt his eyes to start to mist, and his nose sniffle when he read the words on top of the paper. He folded the paper in half and placed it in his shirt pocket and stepped inside the elevator.

His mind echoed with joy as the words bounced through his thought. He smiled fondly at the memory of the drawing session with Andy and Brian. He nodded his head, and fished the paper out of his shirt pocket to reread it, making sure what he read was right. In a kindergarten handwriting was: MY HERO

**Author's Note 2 / 2: Well, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Like I said, this is the longest chapter I wrote for this story, and I don't think that the other chapters will be as long. If you haven't already, feel free to check my second story that I am also updating at the same time called Zootopia: The Hunt for the Bloodhounds, in a Wild West setting. Have a wonderful rest of your 2019!**


	9. Chapter 8: Code Blue

Chapter Eight: Code Blue

**A/N: Hello and Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas everyone! I wanted to release this chapter before Christmas, but I got distracted. Anyways, I hope you had a fantastic Christmas and that you enjoy this chapter. Any review that you leave is appreciated!**

_Zootopia-Unknown Source_

Lying on their flowered bedspread, the stranger raised up their television remote and started flipping through the channels. They were bored out of their mind and they were getting impatient. For the umpteenth time of that day, the stranger looked at their phone, waiting for a call that they knew would never come. They sighed with annoyance and spent the next few minutes breaking the silence of the room with the faint _click_ as they pressed on the button.

The news channel caught their eye as they momentarily paused to listen to the leopard news anchor. They were discussing a series of fires that had erupted throughout Zootopia.

"But the good news," the leopard reported, "Is that Officers Jennifer Snow and Nicholas Wilde has caught the perpetrator. Believed to be dead, Justin Rodgers, a previous employee for Todd and Shelby McIntyer has been behind these devious plans. Because of him, the McIntyers and Stanley Bannington can finally rest in peace."

The stranger rolled their eyes, but the leopard continued. "Stay tuned for the case of missing children, also involving Officers Snow and Wilde. A bit of spoilers…" the leopard smiled. "The bad guy goes to jail."

As the television screen faded to black and cut to commercial, the stranger threw down the remote on the bed with frustration. They were sick and tired of seeing the vulpine and vixen dominating the news headline at every turn. As the commercial murmured in the background, the stranger's heart became heavy with sadness. Finally, they picked up the remote again, and turned off the T.V

They got off the bed and after putting on their shoes, the stranger grabbed their phone and key card. They turned to their left, opened the door and walked out, closing it behind them. After testing the knob, they were satisfied that it was locked.

It was a beautiful, cool afternoon, but it did nothing to help the stranger's mood. Shoving their hands into their pocket, they walked on the sidewalk and left the motel parking lot. A couple of minutes later, the stranger found themselves crossing the street and entering a large park. In front of them, a large pond laid catching the rays of the sun and the small ripples caused it to twinkle. A spurt of water shot up from the center of the pond, as the fountain turned on. Chattering animals and children laughing and playing was all around the stranger, and normally, the stranger enjoyed the environment, but they were unfazed by it.

Ignoring the urge to take off their shoes and feel the soft grass underneath their paws, the stranger made a decision. They walked to a small booth where a newspaper vendor was selling the day's edition. They walked up and selected a paper, while simultaneously fished into their pocket for change. The vendor, a large elk with smooth brown fur and deep voice smiled and spoke, "Good day."

The stranger smiled back. "Yes, yes it is." They pulled out the change that was in their pocket and counted it out. "Dollar fifty." They placed it on the counter. The vendor's smile was fixed on his face as he scooped the change into his own hands.

The stranger turned around and walked to a bench that was in front of the lake. Underneath the shade of the tree, the stranger sat with one foot on top of their leg, and opened the paper. Ignoring the editorials, obituaries, opinion columns and even the crossword, the stranger flipped directly to the comic section.

A small cartoon of a fat cat who loved lasagna and hated Mondays dominated the strip. A small smile appeared on the stranger's face as they read the punchline of the joke. As they moved on to the next cartoon, an animal walked up and sat down into the empty space on the bench. The animal, an elderly goat with a pink sweater and dark blue pants, put down her purse on the ground. She then reached inside her purse and pulled out a small scrap of yarn and two knitting needles. A long spool of yarn stretched from the purse and into the needle. As the goat knitted, she looked over at the stranger. "How are you today?"

The stranger looked over at the old goat and smiled kindly at the elderly animal. "I'm okay. Thanks for asking."

The goat nodded her head, and resumed her focus on her project.

The stranger sighed and flipped the paper. As they did, a sound of ringing could be heard. They looked over at the goat, and the goat continued to knit. The ringing was heard again, and the stranger stood up suddenly, realizing that it was their own phone. Rolling up the newspaper, the stranger stuck it underneath their arm and pulled out their cellphone. It was a blocked number.

Smiling, the stranger clicked the answer button and raised it to their ear. Without bothering to say "hello" the stranger immediately spoke, "Please tell me you have good news."

They looked at the old goat, rolled their eyes and started to walk away, across the park and into the direction of the motel.

Suddenly they stopped. "What do you mean?" they demanded. "I need to eliminate him and that annoying vixen _now._"

"A change of plans? But sir…." The stranger nodded resignedly. "Wait… you're doing phase two now? The fox hasn't been… okay, sir…. My apologies."

They walked across the grass, ignoring the children playing around them. "Do you want me to handle this phase? I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, you know…" The stranger paused and slowly nodded again, "Yes sir… I'm sorry for my outburst. You're right…. Before you hang up sir… why did you call me?"

The stranger smiled. "You want me to watch him? Yes sir, I'm on it… Where is he… the King of Diamonds? I know that place but what if my cover gets blown?"

The smile disappeared. "I understand." With that statement they hung up. As soon as they did, the stranger started to sprint in the direction of the motel. As they did, they pressed a single button and raised the phone to their ear. "Phase two is starting…" they spoke breathlessly. "I don't know… I've been told to watch and report… I can't… Good luck, you're on your own."

With that said, the stranger pocketed their phone and continued to run. As the sunset and the shadows grew larger, the stranger finally arrived at their motel. Unlocking their door and stepping inside, the stranger made a beeline to their closet. Throwing it open, they fished out a pistol that they hid behind the vacuum. They turned around and walked back, heading to the dresser. After opening the drawer and grabbing their binoculars and a notebook and a pen, the stranger paused momentarily to gather their thoughts.

Finally, after they figured they had everything, the stranger turned off the lights, turned around and left the room.

/

_Zootopia – Officer Rizzoli's House_

Officer Virginia Rizzoli gave a tired sigh as she placed the key into the lock. After twisting the door unlocked, she stepped inside. Taking off her jacket, the ewe placed it on a black, metal jacket stand that was several feet away from the front door. After kicking her shoes off, Rizzoli brushed them aside against the wall. A couple of steps later, the ewe found herself in front of the television in the living room. Picking up the remote from the couch, Rizzoli turned on the T.V and after flipping through several channels, she stopped as soon as she heard the announcer's voice.

"And the Sandstorms will be taking on the Vipers in this exciting matchup. It is game one of the playoffs and the Sandstorms will look to take this game in their pursuit for their first champion!"

Rizzoli nodded to herself, turned around and walked into the kitchen. After pulling the refrigerator door open, the ewe grabbed a beer bottle and after opening it, she took a deep draft. Rizzoli closed the refrigerator door, walked around the island in the middle of the kitchen and made her way back to the couch. She sighed and sat down on the couch, with one beer in her hand and the remote in the other. Rizzoli leaned back and placed her feet on the coffee table, as she watched the basketball game.

The tip off had just started and the announcer was calling out the game, "And Silver will pass it to Descartes. The tiger will look for an opening, but will pass the ball to an opened cheetah. A beautiful screen has caused Gunn to get open and he will nail it for a three pointer. With that shot, the Sandstorms take an early lead!"

As the cheering noise erupted from the television, Rizzoli pumped her fist with victory. Keeping her eyes glued on the television, the reached into her pocket and pulled out her cellphone. After clicking on the home-screen button, a lock screen picture appeared. It consisted of an ewe and an antelope, both decked out in uniform and they were smiling in front of the ZPD headquarters. After Rizzoli was satisfied that she did not have any missing calls or messages, she returned her attention to the television, where the Sandstorms had erupted to a six-point lead in the early first quarter.

_Thump_

The strange noise caught Rizzoli off guard. With confusion on her face, she looked around.

_Thump_

Rizzoli sat up straighter. The ewe reached for the television remote and pressed the mute button. The announcer's voice was cut off immediately.

_Thump_

The ewe stood up, unsure of where the noise was coming from. The ewe walked around the couch, pulling out her pistol that was shoved between her pants and her back. Holding it up, Rizzoli awaited for the noise to reappear.

_Ding dong_

The doorbell rang through the house, causing Rizzoli to jump startled. She sighed and shook her head. Still holding her gun in her right hand, she walked towards the door. Arriving to the door, the ewe took a deep breath and shook her head, trying to erase any evidence of tiredness. She reached over to the light switch that was on the wall and flipped one switch upwards. The porch light turned on outside, and Rizzoli finally opened the door.

The ewe was greeted with darkness, and Rizzoli stuck her head out with confusion on her face. After looking around for a couple of seconds, she shrugged to herself and stepped backwards inside the house. As she started to close the door, pain flashed through the ewe's abdomen and the officer felt herself falling backwards.

As she hit the ground, she instinctively used her left hand and used the palm to touch the wound. Rizzoli gasped with pain and the ewe moved her hand to her face and was greeted with the sight of blood. Survival instincts and training kicked in. She quickly kicked the door shut and turned around. With a grunt of exertion and pain, Rizzoli started to crawl through the foyer and into the living room. With each effort, Rizzoli could feel her energy waning and the light starting to darken. Against all odds, she made her way around the couch, and with her right paw reaching upwards, searched for her cell phone.

She made contact with the device and grabbed it. With a groan of pain, she laid with her back on the ground. Unlocking her phone, she immediately went into contacts, and searched for the one animal she knew she could trust. Clicking on the animal's name, she went into messages and pressed several letters.

With a loud groan, Rizzoli pressed the send button and prayed that they would receive the message in time. Rizzoli gasped out loud, and her right arm moved involuntarily away from her body. Her grip loosened and the phone fell out. The once bright lights of the television dimmed and her world turned black.

/

_Zootopia – The King of Diamonds_

Nicholas Wilde felt out of place. Music pulsated through the club, and the animals took advantage of the situation. Many danced on the dancefloor while others chatted at the tables that surrounded the nightclub. Even more milled around, talking and laughing with their friends as they took shot after shot of drinks. The vulpine stretched his black tie, wishing that it was looser. He hated wearing a suit, especially when on a case. Ignoring the music, Nick turned around and grabbed a cup of club soda that was set before him by the barkeep and downed it in one go. He'd rather order alcohol, but since he was working a case, he knew that it was a bad idea. After swallowing the boring drink, Nick took a glance at his watch.

_What's taking her so long?_

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. After dialing a number, he plugged his left ear while placing his phone on his right. A voice on the other end picked up and Nick was relieved. "Where are you?"

"I'm just outside of the door," Jennifer Snow answered. "Hold onto your pants, Wilde."

Nick rolled his eyes. "You're ten minutes late."

"Hey! It's not easy picking out a perfect dress for a high end club, Nick." Snow protested. "I'm a cop too you know? If we find him, I'm gunna need to run."

Music blasted through the line and Nick turned around, knowing that his partner had just entered the club. He hung up the phone and waited for the vixen to appear into his line of sight. The music ended and the DJ took the microphone. "Alright ladies and gentlemen," he spoke with a smooth and silky voice. "At the request of our bride and groom to be, we're going to have a slow dance or two. So grab a partner and enjoy."

After Nick heard the statement, he rolled his eyes. He had arrived at the club when a male animal was talking through the microphone. Several seconds later, he had dropped to one knee and proposed to a female cheetah. She screamed, said "yes" and they both embraced. At first, Nick was confused as to why animals would propose at the nightclub, but then he reached a decision that he didn't care about what kind of animals they were, so he moved on from the subject.

The slow music started to play, and Nick turned his attention back to the small hallway. Snow appeared from around the corner, and the vulpine gave a small squeak of surprise. The arctic vixen was wearing a dark red dress with a single strap, and black high heels. She had replaced her one earring with diamonds, and around her neck was a bright blue stone. It twinkled underneath the lights and flashed with each step she took. After seeing the vulpine, Snow waved. Nick shook himself out of his trance, smiled back and walked forward to meet her.

As the vulpine and the vixen stood before each other, Snow finally broke the silence. "I didn't know you could dress up, Nick."

Wilde cleared his voice and spoke, "You don't look too bad yourself, Snow." As soon as he said that sentence, every fiber of his being told him that he was wrong. She didn't just look good, she was drop dead _gorgeous!_

Snow smiled and nodded her head with thanks, her blue eyes glowing. She looked around the room and spoke, "So what do we have? Any sight of him?"

Nick opened his mouth and started to talk, but then he caught himself. He looked up and down the vixen. "Where'd you keep your gun?" he whispered.

Snow looked back at the vulpine and gave him a sly smile. With her right paw, she moved her dress, briefly revealing her outer thigh. Around her white leg was a holster and the gun was safely strapped in.

Nick whistled appreciatively, and Snow shot him a look. The vulpine shook his head quickly. "That was for the gun… not…" he caught himself and decided to start over. "I'm sorry if you thought I snuck a peek. That was not my intention."

Snow laughed at Nick's clumsy attempt. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. After a couple of seconds passed, she looked back at the vulpine. "Did Booker show up?"

Nick dodged the question once again by placing his paw out. "Do you dance?"

Snow winked. "I took some dancing lessons." She took his paw, and both made their way to the floor, where animals were doing a simple two step combo.

As they got into position, Snow felt herself being pulled inside by the taller fox. As her head rested on his shoulder, the two danced slowly and in a circular fashion to the music. Nick spoke with a low voice. "Do you see that animal… the rhino standing next to the door behind me?"

Snow moved her glance and nodded quickly, prompting Nick to continue, "That's Booker's number one man. He usually comes in around now to pick up the delivery that was made today."

"And that is…"

"Well, according to my C.I, enough cocaine to lay an elephant."

"And do you trust your C.I?"

Nick grunted in response. "He's insane, but he's never steered me wrong. Helped Judy and I several times, back in the day. He's the one who pointed us in the right direction in the Night Howler case… well, that was after we threatened him."

"How?"

Nick shrugged nonchalantly. "We took him to see Mr. Big and the shrew wanted to ice him."

Snow looked up with shock. "You know Mr. Big? The mob boss? How?"

Pain flashed across Nick's face as he struggled to find the words. "Never mind that. Judy saved his daughter's life, so…." He stopped himself. So yeah, I trust him."

Snow nodded. The vulpine and the vixen danced slowly until the music ended. As they let go of each other's paws, they started to clap with the rest of the animals. As the clapping started to die down, Nick leaned to Snow and whispered, "He's here."

Snow looked at Nick's direction and saw a well-dressed cougar walk up to the rhino. They both exchanged some words, and the rhino opened the door. Snow quickly moved to her left, and saw a hallway leading to a second door. The cougar stepped through and the rhino followed him inside, closing the door behind them. She nodded to herself, and looked at Nick. "Did you see that?"

The vulpine nodded. "Hallway and the second door."

"What's the plan?"

Nick thought for a moment. A sly smile appeared on his face and he turned and looked down at Snow. "I've got one. You're not going to like it.

Snow rolled her eyes. "Great." She folded her arms and waited for the vulpine to continue.

Nick chuckled softly. "I saw this in a movie several months ago. Two brothers had to get past the guards and…." He paused for dramatic effect. "They had to do "get help."

Snow widened her eyes. "We are _not_ doing 'get help!' It worked in the movie… because it's a movie!" She shook her head. "It won't work!"

Nick rubbed his paws together excitedly, "It'll be fun, Snow!"

Several seconds later, the fox and the vixen found themselves in front of the door. He opened it until there was a crack. He looked through and true to Snow's suspicions, the rhino was standing in front of the door.

Flinging the door open, and grabbing Snow's arm, Nick draped it around his neck, and Snow gave a small groan and started to go limp. The vulpine dragged his partner into the hallway, and closed the door behind him, cutting then noise of the music. "Excuse me! Can you please go get help! It's my wife! Something's happened to her." For effect, Snow continued to groan and drag her feet.

The rhino raised his hands and shook his head. His deep voice reverberated through the hallway. "You're not supposed to be in here. Go back out."

"Please sir!" Nick pleaded, a sob entering his voice. "Help us!"

The rhino took a step forward and when he was several inches away, the two foxes sprang to action. Snow dropped to her knees and with her right paw balled up into a fist, drove it upwards into the most obvious target she could think of: the groin.

The bodyguard groaned with pain, and sank to one knee, his giant frame still towering over the two animals. With his left hand, Nick smashed it against his jaw, and the rhino tumbled backwards. Shaking his paw to rid of the pain, Nick looked at his partner and smiled "See? Went off without a hitch."

Snow rolled her eyes. "You're impossible, Wilde."

Nick shrugged. He stepped over the fallen rhino and pulled out his pistol. He looked back at the vixen and Snow nodded. She had moved her dress and grabbed her own and both foxes stood ready. Nick pulled the door open, and the vixen moved in first, gun raised.

The cougar was standing in front of the table, his back to her, with a giant duffle bag on the table. He was focused on his work moving giant bricks of cocaine that he didn't hear the door open behind him. Finally, after Nick stepped inside, Snow spoke, "ZPD. Raise your paws!"

The cougar groaned loudly, and turned around, seeing two guns drawn on him. As Nick kept his gun on Booker, Snow holstered her own, grabbed the vulpine's handcuffs and slammed it on the drug dealer's wrists. When she was done, she nodded at the vulpine, and Nick holstered his own pistol. He walked to the table and nodded. "Well, well, well. I'd say that this is a good bust."

He turned around and smiled. As he did, a phone rang and Nick reached into his pocket. He pulled it out and saw that it was a text message. Opening the message, his smile disappeared.

"Nick?" Snow asked, after seeing his expression change. "What's wrong?"

"Take him in." Nick spoke hurriedly. "I need to go." The vulpine moved past both the vixen and the cougar.

"Go where?"

He turned around and after hesitating for a couple of seconds, he spoke quickly. "Rizzoli's house. Something's happened."

With that statement, Nick turned around and left the room. Reaching a decision, Snow pulled out her phone and after pressing a button, raised it to her ear and spoke, "Clawhauser! Send the closest patrol you have to my location, _now_!"

She hung up and after placing her phone back into her pocket, pushed Booker. She guided the cougar out of the door and through the night club. Within a couple of seconds, Snow was outside. She could hear sirens in the distance and the vixen smiled grimly. Holding the cougar on his shoulder, the vixen looked left then right. The street was empty saved for several vehicles. Her eyes scanned the building before her and as she did, she saw movement through her peripherals. She turned her head and looked at the red car that was parked on the side of the road. After waiting for a couple of minutes, she shook her head, and the cop car finally arrived. Shoving Booker into the back seat, she spoke, "Take him back to headquarters. The evidence is back in the nightclub. There's a room to your left. You'll see an unconscious rhino and cocaine."

From the driver seat, the elephant nodded. "What's going on, Jennifer?" she asked. "Where's Nick?"

"I don't know and I intend to find out." Snow responded. With that sentence, she unlocked her car, got in and drove away from the night club.

/

_Zootopia-Officer Rizzoli's House_

Nicholas Wilde slammed on the breaks and his mustang screeched to a halt outside the dark house. He reached over to the passenger seat, and grabbed his flashlight that he placed from when he was at the hyena's house. Clicking it on, Nick scanned the outside of the house and nodded to himself. Pulling out his pistol, the vulpine moved to the concreted front porch. The porch light was on, and he looked down. Nothing disturbed the welcome mat that gave the boring porch a little decoration. Being careful to not knock over the potted plant that was next to the welcome mat, Nick opened the door, shining his flashlight inside of the house.

The first thing he saw was the light emitting from a lamp inside the living room. The T.V was on and it was showing a basketball game. After a couple of seconds, the fox realized that the announcers were muted. The vulpine took a quick step inside, and as he did, something red caught his eye. He looked down and saw that the beam from the flashlight caused the blood on the floor to glow. The vulpine moved the flashlight, and his heart sunk as he saw the trail of blood leading to the living room. It disappeared around the corner of a wall.

Being careful to not step into the blood trail, Wilde moved quickly into the living room. He shined his light into the kitchen and after being satisfied that no animal was inside the room, he continued to follow the blood. It went around the couch, before resting upon the fallen figure of Rizzoli.

Nick quickly holstered his gun and turned off his flashlight. He knelt down into the ground, and quickly moved Rizzoli's left hand away from her bullet wound. He used both of his paws to apply pressure, and as he did, he leaned closer to Rizzoli's face.

Wilde was rewarded with a small stream of breath. "Rizzoli?" he called out. "Hang in there! I'm going to get you out of here!"

Rizzoli's eyes fluttered open. Confusion was evident on her face as she looked around, before finally resting on the fox. She smiled immediately and groaned loudly as Nick continued to hold down pressure. "Nick…" she spoke weakly.

Nick shook his head. "Don't move, Rizzoli!" he spoke, worry creeping into his voice. "I called the paramedics when I was driving here. They're on their way."

The ewe shook her head. "It's too late, Nick…" she gasped. She grabbed his left arm and groaned, her eyes showing signs of panic. "I…I'm scared, Nick… I'm scared,"

Nick shook his head as blood seeped through his fingers. "It's not too late. I'm here, Rizzoli. I'm here. I'm with you." He nodded, as he spoke, pleading entering his voice, "Stay with me!" He removed his pressure and checked the wound. The vulpine gave a small smile of encouragement. "It's not bad… you'll be okay." He placed his bloodied paws back down, applying pressure.

Rizzoli shook her head, her voice becoming weaker with each passing second. "Nick… Don't lie to me."

"Just stay awake! You'll be okay!" Nick tried again. "Did you see who did it?"

The ewe groaned loudly in response.

"Did you see him? Who shot you, Rizzoli?"

The fallen officer felt her eyes start to droop. Nick's voice became an echo in her mind. She looked at the television then slowly back at him.

"Stay awake, Rizzoli! Please!"

_No! Judy! Stay awake!_

The line screamed through his mind, as Nick's eyes started to water. Rizzoli looked upwards at her friend and slowly nodded. "It's okay. Go get him." She painfully whispered

_Judy!_

The vulpine shook his head. Rizzoli's grip became weaker, and the sheep went limp. Tears freely streamed down his face. "Rizzoli!" he yelled. "Rizzoli!"

When the ewe didn't answer, Nick fell backwards on his bottom, his back touching his couch. The image of Judy lying bloodied and dying in his arms reappeared in his mind.

_You're the best officer I have ever seen…_ her voice echoed in his mind.

Nick raised his paws and stared vacantly at Rizzoli's blood. He sat in this trance for a long time, and didn't hear the door open as Jennifer Snow raced inside, her gun drawn. The vixen immediately saw the trail of blood and followed it. She gasped and holstered her weapon. After checking Rizzoli for a pulse, the vixen turned and looked at the teary-eyed fox.

_Don't go back… don't go back…_

"Nick!" Snow spoke loudly. When he didn't respond, she placed a paw onto his shoulder and shook him.

_You're the best officer…_ Nick felt his body moving, and the vulpine snapped out of his trance. He looked up and saw the familiar vixen looking back at him with concern.

"What happened here, Nick?" Snow spoke.

Wilde didn't answer. Instead, he slowly stood up, and without an expression, moved around Snow and walked through the hallway. Soon, he was outside of the house and the vulpine slowly walked to his mustang. Upon arriving at the car, Nick turned around and sat down on the hood.

After she watched him leave, Snow looked sadly at the fallen form of the ewe. Seeing a cellphone on the ground, Snow put on the latex gloves that she grabbed from her pocket and unlocked it. The messages appeared on the screen, and the vixen looked at the text. It read: CD BLU. After reading it, she looked up and saw that it was sent to Nick.

Outside at his car, Nick was still in his trance.

_Not again, Judy… Not again._ Nick shook his head. _I can't do this again…Why'd it have to be Rizzoli? Why?_

The sirens that started out in the distance got closer, and Nick did not move. Within a few seconds, the ambulance arrived into the driveway and the paramedics jumped out and rushed into the house. Within a few minutes, the somber group of animals walked outside, followed by Snow. They all climbed into the ambulance, and the vehicle drove off.

Snow folded her paws together and walked up to Nick. She placed a hand on the vulpine's arm and spoke, "I just called Bogo. He's coming over with several officers."

Nick didn't respond and kept staring down at the ground. _Are you kidding? _Judy's voice echoed. _I'm gorgeous! Even my parents couldn't believe this!_

"Are you okay, Nick?" Snow was saying. After she didn't get an answer, the vixen tried again. "Nick?"

Wilde glanced up and looked at the vixen. He shook his head and spoke, "Yeah… I'm fine."

Snow looked at him with suspicion. "Are you sure? I mean…"

"I said I'm fine, Snow!" Nick snapped. "I don't need you mothering me all the time!"

A flash of hurt appeared on Snow's face as the vixen nodded and took a step back, folding her arms. Realizing what he said, Nick took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm sorry."

The vixen slowly nodded her head, and turned around, sitting next to the fox. Normally, she would have headed back inside the house to start investigating, but something inside of her told her that she should be with him. After a couple of minutes passed, the vixen spoke, "So, Rizzoli texted you CD B-l-u? What does that mean?"

Nick nodded and sighed. "After Judy's death, some of the officers on the force got together to come up with a code in case something happened to us and we couldn't get to the radio fast enough." He spread his paws, now dried with blood "CD B-l-u is actually Code Blue."

Snow nodded with understanding. "That's a good idea."

Sirens became louder and a screeching noise was heard. The cop car pulled up to a stop between Nick's mustang and Snow's vehicle. Chief Bogo stepped outside and immediately strolled to the fox. He noticed the blood on his hands, and the buffalo shook his head. The chief turned around and headed inside the house.

Several minutes passed, and four more police squads showed up with forensics. Snow and Nick did not move from their seating position and they both did not say a word. Soon, the driveway was cordoned off, and the lights of the house were turned on. Officers walked around, searching for clues and generally jotting down notes.

_Find out who did this…_Judy's voice echoed in the vulpine's mind. _You couldn't find my killer… but find Rizzoli. You can do this._

Nick jumped off the hood of the car and started to walk to the front door. Snow followed him, and spoke "Nick. You shouldn't be moving. You're a part of this investigation now."

The vulpine ignored her and stood outside of the front door. He peered inside and squatted down. After examining the blood trail, Nick stood up and moved around into the hallway, until he was facing the front door. With Snow watching, he pretended to open the door.

"Rizzoli got shot here. It's clear. She fell backwards and hit the ground. She must have kicked the door closed because she crawled to the living room." Nick commented.

Snow nodded her head. She made a finger gun with her paw and spoke. "What? Was she shot from here?"

Nick moved closer until Snow's finger was touching his chest. The vulpine hesitated and shook his head. "She was shot, but not at close range. The blood droplets says otherwise. Also, the porch light was on and Rizzoli would have seen their face. She couldn't tell me who it was."

Snow turned around and stepped backwards, off the porch. She moved to the center of the driveway. "And it can't be from here," the vixen commented. "I took a quick look at the bullet wound. The exit trajectory wouldn't be consistent from this angle."

The vulpine sighed and shook his head. "Then where was she shot from?" His voice trailed off as he looked past his partner. Behind Snow was an elevated ground, full of flowers, and more importantly, bushes.

"Snow!" he called. "Stand up there."

The vixen looked back to where he was pointing. Understanding what Nick wanted, the fox climbed up and turned around in front of the bush. She pretended to take aim and hesitated. She looked up at the night sky and nodded her head. "It can't be from here, Nick. The moon was in their face. Rizzoli would have seen who it was."

"Behind the bushes?" Nick called back. "That's where I would hide."

Snow nodded and turned around again. The vixen navigated herself past the bushes until she was standing behind the plants. She grunted with annoyance as she realized that the moon still shone on her.

The vixen looked around, and after getting an idea, decided to step backwards. Her keen eyes examined the bark and saw that there was an area where the bark had been pushed away, revealing smooth dirt, several inches from where she was standing. As Snow examined the ground, she gained the realization that the animal had been laying down on their stomach! The vixen nodded her head, noting to tell forensics see what she had just found. Snow stepped away, navigated her way through the small garden and stepped into the driveway.

Nick wasn't seen. Instead a loud voice emitted from the house. As Snow got closer and stepped inside the house, she realized that it was Nick.

"What do you mean, I'm not on the case?" Nick yelled, his face red with fury.

"Wilde! You're too close! You need to _back off_." Bogo spoke, his tone matching Nick's ferocity. He jabbed a finger in the fox's chest. "Can you really stand in front of me and tell me that you won't compromise this case?"

"I won't, Bogo!" Nick responded. "I'm your best officer and you know that!"

Bogo nodded. "That's true, Wilde. But four months ago, you held your best friend in your paws. Tonight, you had to do it again!" The Chief's voice lowered as he became calmer. "I'm trying to look out for you."

Nick scoffed and shook his head. "If you're looking out for me, then keep me on this case! Please, Chief… I'm begging you."

Bogo shook his head. "I can't, Wilde. You couldn't find Hopps' killers and I don't want you to go after this murderer with a personal vendetta. You almost went off the rails and I don't want you to do it again." With that sentence, Bogo looked away and spoke to the officers in the proximity. "Find me witnesses and clues. Find me anything! We need to put this to bed and bring her killer to justice!" Bogo spoke. When animals weren't moving, Bogo bellowed "Get to work!"

Wilde glared at his Chief and shook his head. He moved past the buffalo and walked around Snow.

"Nick!" Snow called out. The vulpine ignored her and made a beeline to his car, got inside and turned it on. Backing up in the driveway, Nick turned his vehicle around and after the officer moved the barricade, the vulpine drove away.

Snow threw her hands up in the air with exasperation. She turned around to Bogo, unsure of what to do. The Cape buffalo merely pointed in Nick's direction and shot her a look. Snow nodded her head and walked off the porch. Within a few seconds, she was gone.

/

_Zootopia – Unknown Source_

The stranger sat in their red car, holding their binoculars up against their face. They had seen Nick hurry out of the King of Diamonds drive away. Within a few minutes, the door to the nightclub opened and a white vixen appeared. The stranger saw the vixen look around and they immediately dropped out of sight when the vixen's head turned to look at their own vehicle.

After a couple of minutes of hiding, the stranger heard sirens. They popped their head up and saw that the vixen had pushed a cougar into the police car. The vixen then walked to her own vehicle, got inside and drove past the stranger's own car.

Turning on their car, the stranger turned around and followed the vixen, knowing that she would follow the vulpine. After a couple of minutes driving, the stranger saw the vixen turn into a street that led into a neighborhood. Even more minutes later, the stranger found themselves parked a block away from the driveway that the female fox turned onto.

It was there that the stranger sat. An ambulance came and went. Police cars showed up on the scene, and the stranger smiled to themselves. Phase two had begun and claimed its first victim. Fifteen minutes later, the stranger saw a familiar mustang pull out of the driveway and peel off into the distance.

Turning on their car, the stranger picked up the phone and dialed a number. Within a couple of seconds, the other end of the line picked up. "It's a success." They spoke. "Nick's not very happy…. Yes, he's not going to be in the right mind…. Okay." After that word, the stranger hung up.

When they did, they immediately dialed a number. "There's going to be another animal… I don't know… he doesn't tell me anything!" the stranger paused. "Fine." They hung up, and as soon as they did, they saw a second car leave the driveway, and turn into the same direction that Nick went. The stranger realized that it was the vixen. After waiting a couple of seconds, they pressed on the gas, and started to trail the cop.

/

_Zootopia – Nick's Trailer_

Nicholas Wilde slammed the door to his trailer open and pulled it shut with such ferocity that caused the clean dishes on the counter to rattle. He moved to the sink and after turning the water on, started to scrub his paws. As the dried blood fell off his paws and down the drain, he was hit with the memory of Judy dying. With a groan, the vulpine turned off the sink, turned around and made a beeline to the closet. He pulled it open, and started to rip all pictures of Judy and all the evidence that he had found off the wall. As the pictures and the papers fell onto the closet floor, Nick sank to his knees, sobbing loudly.

"I'm so sorry, Judy… I'm so sorry!"

He made a fist with his right paw and slammed it on the floor of the trailer. "Why did it have to be Rizzoli?" the vulpine looked upwards at the ceiling and yelled, "_Why?"_

The fox broke down again. Through his tears, he turned around and leaned against the wall. "I don't know what to do… I don't know." He muttered to himself. "I can't do this… I can't."

_Find her killers… _Judy's voice echoed. _Bring them to justice_.

"But how can I, if I can't find yours?"

_You're the best cop I have ever seen…_

As the two lines repeated themselves over and over in his head, Nick's tears stopped flowing.

"Okay, Judy… I'll do this."

He slowly looked up at the empty trailer and nodded his head. He stood up and walked over the papers, making a beeline to his couch. Pulling the cushions off, and with a set jaw, the vulpine reached in and pulled out a shotgun. Holding it in his left paw, the fox reached inside and pulled out a box of shotgun shells. After loading the bullets into the chamber, Nick turned around, and opened the door to the trailer.

Under the moonlight, a cool breeze blew, but Nick didn't feel anything. He made a beeline to his mustang, and opened the passenger door. He put the shotgun onto the floor and walked back to the trunk. Pulling out the same blanket that comforted the young female leopard child, Nick moved to his gun and covered it. After closing the door and locking it, the fox turned around and headed back inside.

He went to the counter, and pulled out his pistol. After reaching inside the cabinet above him, Nick started to clean his weapon.

_Bring her killer to justice…_

He was so focused on his task that he didn't hear a car pull up outside. The door opened and shut. But Nick turned around as he felt his trailer move as someone stepped inside. Upon the sight of the vulpine, Jennifer Snow stepped closer, her hands spread open and her dress shining underneath the light of the trailer. "What are you doing Nick?"

The vulpine didn't answer, and something caught her eye. Snow turned and looked to her left and saw the scattered papers and pictures with the door to the closet open. She reached down and grabbed a sheet and after flipping it over, her eyes widened as she saw the title marked "evidence."

Standing back up, she turned to Nick, her voice questioning, "What's this?"

Nick moved his attention back to the vixen. He shrugged. "Old stuff from Judy's case."

"You had this this whole time and didn't tell me? Why?"

"Because it's not your case. I didn't want to drag you inside of it."

"Well guess what?" Snow shot back. "I'm here, Nick. I'm on the case now, whether or not you like it. Now, what are we going to do about Rizzoli?" She folded her arms

The vulpine shrugged calmly. "You don't have to worry about that, Snow. Chief said that I'm not on the Rizzoli case anymore."

Snow scoffed. "When has that ever stopped you before?"

Nick looked at his partner and flashed her a dangerous smile. Snow took a small step backwards as a murderous twinkle appeared in Nick's emerald eyes. The vulpine stopped cleaning his gun and after putting it back together, nodded. "You're right, Snow."

He placed the gun on the counter and swore loudly as he attempted to loosen his tie. He pulled off his suit jacket and threw it on the couch. Next was the tie, then the fox pulled out his white buttoned shirt that was tucked inside of his pants. He reached down and untied his shoes, and pulled them off, throwing them on top of the other discarded articles of clothing. When Nick moved onto the belt, Snow realizing what he was doing, immediately turned around, looking away from him. "Nick! What are you doing?"

"What do you think, Snow? I'm getting out of this monkey suit."

"Nick. Couldn't you have at least told me?"

The fox had pulled his pants down, revealing his boxer shorts. He rolled his eyes. "I'm changing, Snow. Happy now?" He paused and pulled his legs out of the pants, then looked up. "Can open the bottom dresser and hand me those jeans?" the vulpine asked.

Snow obeyed. She pulled open the bottom dresser and found neatly folded jeans. Keeping her eyes up at the ceiling, the vixen handed the clothing to the fox. Nick chuckled out loud as he accepted the clothing. After he put it on, he spoke, "Alright, Snow. Pants are on."

The vixen sighed and turned around. As she did, she caught her breath. Nick was shirtless, but he was the most _built_ fox she has ever seen. She stopped herself from squeaking with embarrassment, and immediately shook her head to get out of the trance. Knowing what shirt Nick wanted, Snow went back to the closet and pulled out a green shirt and threw it at the fox.

He nodded his head with thanks and as the fox put it on, Snow spoke, "What's the plan?"

"I'm going to go back to the house right now and start looking for clues. Thanks to you, I now know that the shooter were behind the bushes."

"You saw that?"

Nick nodded. "I saw you disappear, then the Chief called me inside." He moved to the counter and grabbed his gun. After holstering it, he made his way to the front door, only to be stopped by the vixen.

Nick gave a huge sigh and spoke, "Get out of my way, Snow."

"Nick… Don't do this. Get some sleep and let the other officers handle this."

The vulpine scoffed. "They won't find anything."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm the best and they know it."

"Nick, it's this arrogance that's going to get you killed." Snow spoke, not realizing that she had used this sentence before.

The fox shook his head. "One more warning, Snow" his voice growled. "Get out of my way."

The vixen stood resolutely in front of the door. "No. If you want to get through this door, you'll have to hurt me."

Wilde groaned with annoyance. "What do you want me to do vixen?" he yelled. "The murderer is getting away! _Judy's_ killer is escaping!"

"Nick…" Snow spoke calmly. "Is this about Rizzoli or Judy?"

The vulpine didn't answer, which confirmed Snow's suspicions. "We have to do this by the book, Wilde." As the vulpine rolled his eyes, the vixen continued "And when we do it, I'll help you."

At that sentence, Nick looked at his partner. Snow flashed him a smile. "Chief said that you're not on the case, but he didn't say anything to me."

Nick moved to the couch and after sitting down, bounced his leg. Reaching a decision, he nodded his head. "Alright. What do you want to do?"

"Sleep. You need to sleep. You're tired and running on fumes. We'll have a fresh start first thing in the morning. We'll go to Rizzoli's house and we will solve this… together."

Nick nodded his head, knowing that what his partner spoke was the truth. The fox sighed and placed his gun on the coffee table in front of the couch. He then laid back down and stared up at the ceiling.

"And you'll call me when you wake up." Snow spoke, her voice stern. Nick didn't move, prompting the vixen to speak louder, "Call me!"

Nick waved his paw, affirming that he heard her. Snow shook her head, turned around and flipped the light switch downwards. As soon as it became pitch black inside the trailer, she left. When the door closed, Nick fell fast asleep.

/

_Zootopia – Officer Rizzoli's House_

The sun barely broke the horizon as Nicholas Wilde turned onto the street into the neighborhood as he made his way to his friend's house. He had gotten up before light and immediately grabbed his aviators, gun, keys and coffee. After he arrived at his mustang, he checked the back seat of his car and nodded his head as he saw that his shotgun was still secured. The vulpine sat into the driver's seat and pulled out his phone. He hesitated at the thought of calling her, and shook his head. After he started his car, he drove into the heart of Zootopia and made his way to Rizzoli's neighborhood. As neared the driveway, he took a sip of his coffee, and focused on his task. The vulpine turned right into the driveway and after several feet, groaned loudly.

In front of the house was a second vehicle, with Jennifer Snow standing in front of the trunk, her arms crossed and a cup of coffee next to her. She was wearing her black dress pants with a white shirt and a black jacket. She glared at the vulpine and nodded her head.

Nick gave a false smile, put his car into park and turned off the engine. He grabbed his coffee cup and stepped outside of the car. "Good morning, Snow."

"I told you to call me." Snow spoke. "Guess what? You didn't."

"How'd you know I'd be here this early?"

Snow scoffed. "It's insulting that you'd think that I don't know my partner well enough."

Nick tilted his head until he was looking at her over his aviators. "Clawhauser called you didn't he?"

_Dammit, he's good._ Snow thought to herself. Instead of answering, the vixen turned around and pointed at the door. "Shall we?"

Nick chuckled, knowing that he scored a point. As the two stepped onto the porch, the fox spoke, "You take outside and I'll take the inside?"

Snow shrugged, but nodded her head. "That works."

As the vixen turned around to remain outside, the vulpine cut through the CAUTION tape and entered the house. He closed the door behind him, and his heart sank as he saw the blood trail still on the floor. The events of the night hit him and Nick breathed deeply, controlling the anger that threatened to consume him.

He followed the trail through the foyer and into the living room. This time the T.V was off and the lights were shut. In front of the couch, a pool of blood was seen and Nick shook his head again.

_I…I'm scared, Nick… I'm so scared._

Nick sighed again and took a sip of his coffee. He moved away from the living room and into the kitchen. Nothing was seen and Wilde shook his head. He turned around and walked back into the living room. "So, the scene is really this room." The fox muttered to himself.

_It's okay… Go get him._

_RIZZOLI!_

The vulpine shook his head and unconsciously took another sip of his drink. "Who would want to kill her and why?" He asked himself.

After spending a few minutes exploring the scene, Nick was ready to give up and head outside to look for Snow. As he turned around and started to walk, a loud ringing noise was heard. Suddenly, it stopped as quickly as it started as the door opened and the vixen stepped inside. Upon the sight of the vulpine, she shook her head. "I couldn't find anything out there." Snow spoke. "No shell casings, no tire treads… Whoever did this was a…"

"Pro." Nick finished. "Did you hear that ringing noise before you came in?"

"What ringing noise?"

Nick looked around. Getting an idea, he spoke, "Humor me, Snow. Step outside there won't ya?"

The vixen sighed but she nodded her head and obeyed. Snow turned around, crossed the living room and went into the foyer. She opened the door and stepped onto the porch. After closing the door behind her, she moved into the driveway and started to stand. As the cold morning breeze blew across her face, causing the vixen to shiver, Snow took a drink of her coffee.

Her phone rang and as she picked it up, she answered, "Hello?"

"Snow." It was Nick. "Go back onto the porch please."

"Why?"

"Just… Just do it okay?"

Snow rolled her eyes and stepped back on the porch. As she did, she could hear Nick muttering to himself. "Alright where are you, you little devil?" He went silent and after a couple of minutes, the other line went _click_.

"Nick?" Snow asked. "Are you there?"

A red light appeared on the doorbell as Nick's voice wafted through the speaker. "I'm here Snow and guess what? I'm in Rizzoli's bedroom and there's a laptop connected to the doorbell camera."

Snow nodded. "Are there past recordings?"

Nick went silent once again and after a couple of seconds, spoke "Yes…" His voice became excited. "There's one from last night."

The vixen nodded her head. "Good." She spoke. "I'm coming inside."

Inside the house, Nick heard her statement and nodded to himself. He moved the mouse of the laptop to the recording and pressed play. He moved the timer bar to the time he found Rizzoli. The mustang appeared and it showed Nick going inside with his gun and flashlight. The vulpine moved the mouse and dragged it backwards. His eyes narrowed as the fox saw the ewe pop her head out and disappear. After a couple of seconds, a thudding noise could be heard as Rizzoli's body hit the ground.

Nick leaned back into his chair and rubbed his face. He groaned out loud, as he didn't find anything. _Well… this guy _is _a pro. They know how to stay out of sight._

He leaned forwards again and dragged the timestamp even further backwards. After pressing play, he saw an animal appear on the porch to ring the doorbell. _So that's why it rings. _Nick thought to himself. _It was to tell Rizzoli that someone was near the door_.

Nick paused the video at the animal and he sighed. The animal was in black and wore a dark hat. As the vulpine scoured the recording, he shook his head as angle in which the animal stood, made it harder for him to identify. The animal turned around and quickly hurried to the bushes. Rizzoli popped her head out and Nick sighed. _And it happens here._ He rubbed his face once more.

He replayed the video, and as he did, a nagging feeling entered his gut. The fox shook his head as he tried to pay attention to the video and decipher the feeling. The vulpine paused the video and folded his paws together, closed his eyes and allowed his mind take him back to the scene of the crime.

He started with himself entering Rizzoli's house, then fast-forwarded to the appearance of Snow. He shook his head and continued to replay his memory. Bogo, the cops and the CSU team showed up and Nick slowly nodded his head.

_Everyone is here…_

A thought struck him and the vulpine snapped his eyes open.

_That can't be right…_

He closed his eyes again and replayed the events. When he was done, he opened his eyes and his heart sank. Nick immediately leaned forward and kept his eyes on the bushes as he played the video. Everything was the same that he had seen and the vulpine was about to give up. Suddenly something in the corner of the video caught his eye and the fox immediately paused the recording. He backed it up and played it again.

Pawsteps got louder as Snow ran up the stairs. Catching her breath, she stood next to Nick. "We have one more down."

"One more down?" Nick asked. "Another one? Who?"

"Wolfgard." Snow paused and continued with a soft voice. "He was shot through the heart."

"Where?"

"At his home."

Nick nodded. "Snow… this is important. Go to the scene of the crime and see if he had the same security as Rizzoli. Find his laptop or phone and see if you could find anything on it."

Snow nodded and turned around. Nick's voice stopped her in her tracks. "And Snow… this is important. Did you take a look at Rizzoli's phone?"

The vixen nodded, unsure of where this conversation was going. "And did you see if she sent the Code Blue message to anyone else?"

Snow shook her head. "Just you." With that sentence, she turned around left the room.

Nick exhaled heavily. He turned around in his chair and sat there for several seconds. Sadness was immediately replaced as anger, and Nick slammed his fist on the table, causing the laptop to shake. He took one more look at the paused video, then reached inside his pocket and pulled out a phone. With a shaking paw, he scrolled through his contacts before clicking on an animal. He texted a message and after clicking send, he turned around and left the bedroom.

/

_Zootopia – Wolfgard's House_

Jennifer Snow pulled into the driveway of Wolfgard's house, where the coroner was already bringing the body inside the truck. Ignoring the screaming lights and the milling officers, Snow went inside the house. She saw the pool of blood immediately in front of her as she went into the foyer. The vixen stepped around it and started to search for his bedroom. As she did, she went past an opened door, and immediately stopped. There was a laptop sitting on the desk.

Snow stepped inside the office and closed the door behind her. She moved to the desk and sat down in the chair. _Please don't be locked._

The vixen moved the mouse, awakening the computer and despair washed over her as the computer revealed a secure system. Snow pushed her chair back and started opening the dressers to the desk. She was greeted with stacks of books, files and other papers and the vixen groaned. Ten minutes later, and Snow was nowhere closer to her goal. She looked back up at the laptop and muttered "Wolfgard… what's your password?"

A thought struck her and the vixen looked back down at the opened dressers. She pulled out the stack of books and started to read the titles. "Sherlock Hounds and the Ghosts of Baskerville… Sherlock Hounds: A Study in Pink… How to study Crime Scenes… Sherlock Hounds and the Terror in the Night." Snow read. She looked up at the laptop and moving her paws to the keys, she typed "Sherlock."

She was given with a "wrong password" notification and Snow shook her head. "Let's try this…" she spoke out loud. The vixen typed in "Sherlock Hounds."

The password disappeared, leading the way to the home screen and the vixen smiled with victory. She immediately opened the "start" button on the computer and a list of applications appeared. The vixen moved the mouse and scrolled down the list until something caught her eye.

Snow clicked on the app titled "Security System – Doorbell" and she was greeted with the doorbell camera in current time. She could see animals still milling around outside. _He was killed today, so the recording would be from earlier._

The vixen scrolled the timestamp backwards and let it play. As she watched, she saw a car appear, and an animal getting out of it. They were dressed in all black, and had a hat on top of their head. As Snow watched, she tried to see who it was, but the angle of the camera obstructed the view. The animal then walked to the door, rang the doorbell, turned around, but as they did, a giant paw reached out from the room, pulling them inside.

Snow smiled sadly. _He must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time… _the vixen fast-forwarded and was greeted with the animal again, this time without the hat.

_Turn around… turn around…_

Her prayers were answered and as the animal turned around, Snow gasped with shock. She stood up, ran out of the room and after accidentally bumping into several officers, exited the house. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Snow climbed into her car and the vixen dialed a number and muttered, "Pick up… Pick up…"

"Go for Wilde."

She started the car and started to pull out into the street. "I know who it is… You're not going to believe it! I couldn't possibly believe it myself… but I know who killed Rizzoli and Wolfgard."

"Me too," Nick spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "I have her in front of me." With that statement, he hung up. Snow groaned, pocketed her phone and hurried out of the house. Within a minute, she was speeding down the street with a bead on Nick's location, a location that was three minutes away, according to Clawhauser.

/

_Zootopia _

Nicholas Wilde pulled up into the driveway. A second car on the street told him that the animal was home. He turned off the car and sighed deeply. The vulpine had driven at high speeds all the way to the house and he was exhausted. But he was happy that he accomplished in his mission.

He looked to the shotgun in the backseat and started to shake his head. The vulpine stopped and determination and resolution overtook him. Wilde grabbed the shotgun, turned off the car and started to climb out.

As soon as he did, his phone rang. Nick pulled it out and answered. "Go for Wilde."

It was Snow and she was breathless. "I know who it is… You're not going to believe it! I couldn't possibly believe it myself… but I know who killed Rizzoli and Wolfgard!"

"Me too." Nick's voice was low, dangerous and had a hint of fury inside of it. An animal passed in front of the window. "She's right in front of me." He hung up and tossed it on the passenger seat.

The fox got out of the car and shut the door. He quickly walked to the front door, and knocked on it. Several minutes passed, and no one answered it. He tried again, this time the knocks were louder, rapider and sharper.

Finally, the door opened and as soon as it did, Nick stepped inside, pushing the animal away. He immediately took aim with his shotgun and yelled, "Get to the couch, _now!"_

Fey, the antelope, held her hands up with surrender, confusion on her face. "Nick? What are you doing here?"

It was her mistake. Nick took a step forward and fired a round. It smashed into the wall next to her and Fey instinctively ducked down. "I said… get to the couch now!" The fox yelled, his voice full of fury.

The antelope obeyed, and under the careful watch of the vulpine, she moved to the couch. She sat down on the green cushions, her hands still raised. "Nick… What are you doing here?" She spoke fearfully. "Why are you doing this?"

"I think you know why…" Nick growled. "You destroyed my life!"

Fey shook her head and started to stand up. "Nick…"

A movement by the vulpine caused her to sit back down on the couch, coughing heavily as the butt of the gun slammed into her stomach. Nick took aim again. After a couple of seconds, he spoke, panting heavily. "Why did you kill Rizzoli? Your best friend? _Why?"_

"I… I didn't." Fey groaned.

"_Yes you did!"_ Nick roared. "Rizzoli had a security video. You were on it. You thought you were out of the picture, but as you moved away from the bushes, you made a mistake… you took off your hat and your horn was seen."

"And another thing…" Nick continued. "Rizzoli sent me the Code Blue. Not you… why didn't she send it to you? It was because she saw you… didn't she? Then… then you didn't show up to the crime scene, which was odd because Rizzoli was your best friend. But you had to move onto the next victim and that was Wolfgard. Why?"

Fey didn't answer, which caused Nick's fury to explode. He dropped his shotgun, and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a baton, and after pressing the button, it expanded to full size. He took a step forward, and brought the baton down repeatedly, enunciating each word with each hit, "_why… did… you… kill…her… your… best… friend?"_

After several seconds, Fey's face became bloodied and swollen. She turned and coughed out blood and after licking her lips looked back at the vulpine. "Because I had no love for her."

That answer surprised the fox. Still holding the baton, he spoke, "What?"

Fey coughed again and chuckled. "I had to kill her and Wolfgard for the glory of…" she paused. "The Silver Clan."

Nick staggered backwards, shock on his face. "That's right Wilde. I'm part of the group." She rolled her head and groaned with pain.

"Why?" Nick asked. "What has the Silver Clan done for you?"

Fey chuckled again. "They gave me a purpose, Wilde. Something to live for… a noble goal! Integrity and a cause to clean the city of corruption."

"And Rizzoli was corrupt?"

"All of you were corrupt!" Fey shot back. "The cleaning of the city starts with the police department."

Nick stopped, controlling his emotions. "Was Judy a target?"

Fey scoffed, causing blood to dribble out of her mouth. "Of course. But not in a way you think…" She coughed again. "Judy was the posterchild of the ZPD. We had to get rid of her to reveal the corruption."

Nick shook his head. "You're wrong. The ZPD are good animals!"

"Open your eyes, Wilde!" Fey shot back. "Bribery, evidence tampering and lying to the public! The ZPD does this every single day!" She paused and a small smile appeared on her lips. "That's why you shot a colleague of mine and said it was self-defense."

Nick slowly sat down on the chair, shock evident on his face. Fey nodded. "I knew about that, Wilde. You're as corrupt as they come… and that's the reason why you'd never make headway on Judy's case."

The vulpine quickly glanced upwards and met Fey's eyes. She nodded her head. "That's right, Nick… someone in the department is covering the evidence. They want to protect the killers, and my leader."

"Who's your leader?"

Fey chuckled again. "You'd really think it's that easy… no… You'd gonna have to figure that one out yourself." She groaned with pain. "But here's the kicker, Wilde… You're going to want to brace yourself."

Nick looked at her suspiciously and the antelope spat out blood. "You know our glorious Chief… Bogo? Well… he knew about the Silver Clan and did nothing about it. You wanted to know who was covering up evidence for Judy's death, I'd check with him."

"I mean, think about it, Wilde." Fey continued. "Really think about that night. I was one of the responding officers and you were there. But you were so completely out of it that you didn't see Bogo there. He collected the evidence from the CSU guys and got rid of them."

"Why… Why would he do this?" Nick whispered.

Fey shrugged. "Because he's corrupt, Wilde. We need to purge animals like him! We need to get rid of all the city officials! Remember Lionheart? Bellweather? The current ones we have now are _them!"_

Silence passed between the vulpine and the antelope. Nick slowly looked up, tears evident on his face. He took a deep breath and exhaled. _I love you Judy…_

He reached a decision, stood up and drew his pistol. "This is for Rizzoli…and Judy."

The vulpine took aim and moved his pistol until it was at Fey's head. The antelope nodded. "Talk to Bogo… You'll see that I'm right. Soon, you'll want to join the Silver Clan."

_I found the other one, Judy… I found her_.

_Take her in, Nick…_ Judy's voice echoed. _We need to trust the justice system._

Nick ignored her voice, and took a deep breath, his finger coiling around the trigger. Fey didn't move and before the vulpine fired a shot, the front door slammed open.

Jennifer Snow rushed inside and upon the sight of Nick and Fey, she raised her paws. "Nick… Look at me."

Nick turned his tear stained face to the vixen. "She killed Rizzoli… She's part of the Silver Clan!"

"I know, Nick… I know…" Snow spoke, soothingly. "We will do this by the book, I promise you. Let me handle this."

Nick looked at the vixen and switched his gaze to the antelope. "Nick…" Snow spoke, pulling the vulpine back to her. "Please give me the gun… Don't do anything you'll regret."

The vulpine looked back at the bloodied antelope. "But she deserves to die!"

Snow took a deep breath and shook her head. She tried again, and spoke, "Nick… I know… I know exactly how you are feeling right now. I've… I've killed someone before and I have to carry that every single day." She paused and took a step forward. "Nick… Killing her won't bring Rizzoli, Wolfgard or Judy back… but you can do the right thing and hand me the gun."

"But Snow…" Nick growled.

"Nick… Please."

The vulpine looked at the vixen and saw her bright blue eyes, laced with worry and… _sympathy?_ Nick shook his head. _Not sympathy… empathy._

He snapped out of his thought and turned his attention back to the antelope. Several seconds of silence passed, and Nick slowly lowered his gun. Snow relaxed, and gave a huge exhale of relief. "Nick… Now give me the gun."

A gunshot noise was heard, followed by a cry of pain caused the vixen to jump. Snow looked at Nick then back at the antelope. She was clutching her shoulder in agony and without expression, Nick holstered his gun. He turned around, pulled out his handcuffs and handed them to Snow. "Take care of her."

"Nick…" Snow stopped him. "I have to report his, you know?"

The vulpine turned around and wiped a lone tear. "No you won't. Otherwise I'd be gone from the force the first day I met you."

"Then how do I explain her face?"

Nick looked pointedly at the antelope and Fey glanced back. She slowly nodded her head and Nick spoke, "She was at a boxing club this morning. That's why she missed work." With that statement, he turned around and left the house.

Snow sighed and walked up to the groaning antelope. A closer inspection revealed that Nick had shot and grazed the top of her shoulder and the bullet was still embedded into the couch. She dug the bullet out and immediately pocketed it. Snow then grabbed the antelope by the shoulders, pulled her up and guided the animal out of the house and into the back of her own car.

Nick was already starting to drive away, but at the sight of Snow approaching him, immediately stopped and rolled down his window.

"What?" Nick asked.

"What made you change your mind? Your gun was on her head and you moved it to her shoulder."

"You were there. I wanted to kill her." Nick spoke, his voice cold. He started to raise his window again. Snow's voice stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

Nick stiffened. A couple of seconds passed then he spoke, a small hint of fury in his voice. "I'm going to have a chat with our chief." He rolled up the window and drove away.

Snow sighed and got into her car. Ignoring the groaning of pain that was coming from Fey, the vixen turned on her car and drove out of the driveway and towards the ZPD.

/

_Zootopia – ZPD_

Nicholas Wilde stormed through the lobby, his paw resting on his pistol. Ignoring the greeting that was emitted from the fat cheetah, the fox pounded his way up the stairs, his angry pawsteps echoing through the building, and walked across the second floor. He took a left and ended up in front of Bogo's office. Not bothering to knock, Wilde pushed it open, the door slamming against the wall and bouncing off, and strode in. "Bogo! We need to talk!"

Bogo was in front of his desk, his glasses perched on his large nose. He looked up when the door opened, and gestured towards an animal sitting in front of him. With a deep voice, laced with annoyance, the Cape buffalo spoke, "Wilde… I'm in a meeting. Can you come back later?"

Ignoring the ocelot that was sitting in front of Bogo's desk, Nick spoke, his voice clear and his emerald eyes glowing with anger. "Did you cover it up?"

"Cover what up?"

"Judy."

A beat was passed and Bogo stared at the fox, who was shaking with fury. He sighed and looked back at the ocelot. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Vera. Can you come back tomorrow?"

The ocelot, not wanting to get caught in the middle nodded her head quickly. She stood up and grabbed her purse and started to leave the room, making sure not to enter the vicinity of the angry fox.

Wilde closed the door behind her and took several steps forward. "Bogo…" he took a deep breath, trying to control the fury. "Did you cover up Judy's death? Is that why I couldn't find anything?"

The Chief shook his head. "Why would I? I have no reason to do so."

"Because you're with the Silver Clan."

Nick caught a flash of recognition that appeared in his eyes. It disappeared but it was there momentarily. "Bogo…" the vulpine took a step forward, balling his paws into a fist. "Are... you… a part…of the Silver Clan?"

"Wilde… I don't know what you're talking about."

"_Cut the crap!_" Nick screamed. "For four months… _four months… _You had me chasing my tail around searching for Judy's killers…" He shook his head with fury. "I would have never expected it'd be you."

Bogo stood up suddenly. "Wilde!" he growled, slamming his hands on the desk. "You don't understand what's happening here!"

"But I do, Bogo!" Nick spoke. "You've been _lying_ to me for four months!" He scoffed. "You don't even care about us."

The Chief scoffed and straightened himself. "That's not true."

"Then why are you not helping me find the Silver Clan? Why did you take me off the Rizzoli case?" Nick shook his head. "You and everyone else in this damned city destroyed my life!"

"Listen to me, Nick. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Then explain it to me!" When Bogo was silent, Nick yelled, "_Explain!"_

"I can't! There's too much at stake. I can't give this up to indulge your personal vendetta!"

Nick looked down to his right, and was surprised that he unconsciously placed his paw on his holstered gun. He let go of his weapon, looked up at his "Chief", took several steps backwards and shook his head.

_You're the best officer I've seen…_

He scoffed, turned around and opened the door. He started to leave the room, but then he stopped. The vulpine took a deep breath and turned around, facing his boss.

_We will do it by the book… I promise, _that was Snow.

Making up his mind, Nick dug into his pocket and pulled out an item. Taking a step forward, the vulpine tossed it to his boss. Before he even caught it, the Chief already knew what it was.

"Wilde…" Bogo started, stopping Nick in his attempt to leave.

The fox looked back, his once bright emerald eyes, which glowed with joy and humor, was replaced with sadness and despair. He gave a huge sigh and spoke with a low voice. "I quit."

With that, he stepped out and into the hallway, slamming the door behind him.

Holding the badge in his paw, Bogo gave a deep sigh of sadness. He looked up at the door, shook his head and took off his glasses. Finally, the Cape buffalo slowly sat down in his chair, wondering where it all went wrong.


	10. Chapter 9: Memories

Chapter Nine: Memories

_Zootopia – Rainforest District_

_Did you cover it up?_

_ Cover what up?_

_ Judy._

The thought echoed through Nicholas Wilde's mind, stirring the slumbering fox. The familiar pattering of the rain entered his ears.

_Cut the crap!_

_For four months… four months… You had me chasing my tail around searching for Judy's killers. I would have never expected it'd be you._

Traffic roared in the distance. The noise mixed with the pattering of the rain slowly caused the vulpine to return to the real world. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his head with his left paw. After taking several seconds to gather himself, he realized that the fingers on his right paw was curled around a half-empty bottle of beer.

The fox slowly stood up and as soon as he did, he cursed out loud as the vulpine stumbled to his left and hit a brick wall. He shook his head, attempting to clear his vision and ignore the pounding inside of his head. He took a deep sigh and looked around.

He was in an alleyway. A green dumpster lined the wall next to him and Nick sighed. "Where am I?" he muttered to himself. The fox looked at the beer bottle in his hand, shrugged and finished it off. Once he did, he tossed it on the ground, watching the bottle shatter into pieces. _Why am I in the Rainforest District?_

Wilde walked out of the meager cover of the alleyway and stepped out into the rain. He turned to his left and looked at the building. A sign, in bright neon pink, read: "The Ape and the Vine."

Nick sighed again, then took a step forward. He pushed the door open and was greeted with the familiar smells of a bar. A giant ape was behind the counter, cleaning a cup. At the sound of the door opening, the animal looked up, a smile on his face. At the sight of the fox, the smile disappeared. He put the glass on the counter and growled, "I thought I kicked you out. You'd better move on before I call the police."

Nick spread his paws apart and nodded his head. "You don't have to worry about that." He started. "It's a funny story because I'm actually…" a thought entered his mind causing him to stop.

_I quit._

"You're what?" The ape demanded.

_I quit._

Wilde sighed with sadness. He nodded his head and spoke. "My apologies. I'll leave now."

He turned around and placed a paw on the door. After opening it slightly, the wet fox stopped and turned back around. "What exactly happened last night?"

The ape glared at the fox. "You started a fight."

"How?"

"You sat right here in this stool," the ape pointed at the chair in front of the counter. "Someone walked inside and sat down next to you. You took a look at them and said, 'when's the baby due?'"

Nick grimaced. "She wasn't pregnant?"

The ape shook his head and gave a small smile. "_He_ wasn't."

The vulpine slowly nodded with understanding. "I see… Who won?"

"Who do you think?"

Wilde winced and slowly nodded. "You've got a good point." With that statement, he turned around and stepped back outside into the pouring rain. As he did, he fished into his pocket and pulled out his car keys. Pressing on the 'unlock' button on the fob, he heard a faint beeping. Out, at the end of the parking lot, the mustang flashed its lights, as Nick made his way to his beloved vehicle.

He opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it after him. The vulpine placed his key in the ignition, but before he turned it, he leaned back into his chair, listening to the rain.

_I quit_

Nick rubbed his face and shook his head. He took a deep breath and sighed. Finally, he spoke, his voice cracking as his eyes watered. A tear rolled down his cheek, the saltiness mixing with the wet fur. "Well, that's that, Judy. I can't help you anymore. I give up."

_But you can't do that, Nick_. Judy's voice echoed into his mind. _Think of how far you've come._

Nick sighed again, remembering the events that had happened in the past few weeks. He shook his head and sighed. "I'm done."

With that word, an idea popped into Nick's mind. His heart became heavy, and full of longing. He wanted to be with Judy, one way or another, and was willing to do anything. After looking out at the dark road, he took a deep breath, nodded his head with affirmation, and turned on his car. The fox looked at the wheel of his beloved vehicle, gave a small smile, and with a right paw, slowly ran his fingers around the rim. _You've been with me through thick and thin huh?_ Nick thought to himself.

Snapping out of his daze, the fox backed out of his parking spot, and turned onto the street, heading towards the heart of Zootopia.

/

_Zootopia – ZPD_

Jennifer Snow pulled her car into the parking lot and shut off the engine. As she stepped out of her car, she grabbed her purse and started to head towards the elevator. After hearing the familiar beeps of her car locking, the vixen threw the keys into her purse and dug out her phone. Snow pressed a single number and placed it against her ear as she pressed the button for the elevator.

A familiar voice appeared as the message played. "You have reached Nicholas Wilde…Knock it off, Judy, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm not available, please leave a message at the beep, I guess?"

Once the beep was heard, Snow spoke, "Where are you Nick? I haven't seen or heard from you since…" she paused, "What happened yesterday. You said that you would talk to the Chief, but I couldn't find you. Anyways… I processed Fey yesterday and she's in holding." The elevator doors opened, and Snow stepped inside. "Nick… Call me back, please. Tell me that you're okay."

She finally hung up her phone and placed it into her purse. The elevator doors opened as the vixen reached the lobby of the ZPD, and she stepped into the bright room. She looked around and made a beeline to an animal.

Clawhauser looked up from his work as he heard pawsteps getting closer. The fat cheetah beamed at the vixen and he nodded in greeting. "Hello, Ms. Snow! How are you doing today?"

Snow didn't respond. Instead she spoke up, worry entering her voice. "Have you heard from Nick? He's not returning my calls."

Clawhauser's smile disappeared. "Oh dear…" the cheetah stammered. "I guess you haven't heard yet."

Snow shot him a look. She leaned forward and spoke, "Heard what?"

Clawhauser swallowed nervously. "Nick… Well…"

"What?"

"He quit, yesterday." Clawhauser spoke quickly, wanting to get the ordeal over it. "So you're on your own for the next few weeks, at least until you get a new partner." He looked back on the stack of papers on his desk.

Not hearing what the cheetah said, Snow took a step forward and spoke, "He did _what?_"

The obese cheetah nodded sadly. "He quit." Clawhauser sighed. "He turned in his badge to Bogo yesterday."

Snow shot her mouth open with surprise. She stood there motionless for a few seconds and then finally spoke, "What… Why?"

"How would I know?" Clawhauser shrugged. "I'm not a mind reader."

The vixen sighed and raised both of her paws to rub against the side of her temples. _You stupid, stupid fox…_ she thought to herself. Finally, she looked up at Clawhauser, and the cheetah was surprised to see confusion replaced with determination.

Snow spun on her heels and started to head towards the stairs, leading to the second floor. "Where are you going?" Clawhauser called after her.

"To talk to our Chief!"

"Ah… He's not here!"

Snow stopped in her tracks and turned slowly around, her bright blue eyes burning with anger. "Where is he?" she asked, ice entering her voice.

The obese cheetah chuckled nervously. "I… I don't know."

Snow took a deep breath to control her fury. The arctic vixen slowly nodded her head to herself. "Alright…" she spoke to herself. Snow left the stairs and started walking towards the elevator. Once arriving, the arctic vixen pushed the button and waited for the elevator to arrive

"Erm… Snow?" Clawhauser called out again. "What're you doing?"

"I'm going to find Nick!" Snow called back, as the elevator doors opened.

"But you don't have any sick days left!"

The vixen stepped inside and turned around, looking at the cheetah. She snorted derisively and spoke, "What's Bogo going to do? Fire me?" The vixen rolled her eyes and folded her arms before continuing, "He needs me and he knows it."

The doors closed before Clawhauser could respond. As the elevator moved down towards the parking garage, Snow shook her head, knowing that several weeks prior, she would not have made this choice.

_Guess Nick rubbed off me, huh?_

The doors opened with a _ding,_ and Snow walked towards her car, worry overcoming her. _Where are you, Nick?_

_/_

_Zootopia – Rainforest District_

Nick Wilde leaned his back against the steel pole of the bridge, his feet dangling precariously off the ledge. The rain continued to wet his orange fur and the fox sighed. He took another drink of his beer and swallowed. Once he did, he sighed and threw the bottle down into the abyss of trees, vines and leaves below him.

Traffic roared behind him, and Nick looked back. Cars and trucks raced along the wet roadways, as none realized that there was a fox above them. Nick turned his attention back out, as he watched the city of Zootopia teem with life.

The bridge that he sat upon was the largest in Zootopia, serving a beautiful view as it connected the Rainforest District to Sahara Square. The bridge climbed out of the canopy of the rainforest and coiled partway up a mountain, before pushing down into Sahara Square. Nick had parked his car at the base of the bridge and snuck onto the maintenance route. It led him to the peak of the bridge, where the fox could see everything around him. He sighed to himself and sat down on the bridge, and it was there where the vulpine found himself with a beer bottle in his hand. Out in the distance, Wilde could see the sun gleaming off the rolling hills of sand. He nodded to himself. _This is perfect. I wish you were here to see this, Judy_.

He reached next to him and broke another bottle of beer free from the pack. Clicking it open, Nick took a drink and sighed sadly. He smacked his lips and nodded his head. The fox held up the beer and saw that he had already drank half of it.

_I wish you were here…_

As soon as the vulpine thought that, yesterday's events crashed into his mind.

_You know our glorious Chief, Bogo? Well… he knew about the Silver Clan and did nothing about it. You wanted to know who was covering up evidence for Judy's death, I'd check with him… _Fey's voice entered his mind.

Nick grimaced as that thought was replaced with the image of a familiar sheep dying in his paws. _Go find him, Nick. _She had whispered. Wilde nodded slowly to himself. He did, but he couldn't help and wonder… _at what cost?_

Rizzoli disappeared and was replaced with a blood-soaked, Judy. Her voice entered his mind, _I'm here to protect and serve._

Tears appeared in his eyes as in his imagination, he spoke back to Judy. _But I found Rizzoli's killers! Why can't I find yours?_

_Do you trust me? _The bunny paused. _Trust me when I say that everything will be fine…_

Nick felt her paws become limp and the fox snapped back to reality. He nodded to himself, knowing what he wanted to do. The fox finished his drink and tossed it off the bridge, not caring where it was going.

He stood up and stretched, then shoved his paws into his pocket. He took a small step forward until his feet were balancing on the edge of the bridge. _How easy this would be…_ he thought to himself. The fox sighed and closed his eyes and pulled his paws out of his pockets. He then stretched his paws out, as a small wind blew, causing the fox to teeter slightly. He wasn't sad anymore. At that moment in time, Nick knew that he wanted to do this, and his heart was light, as the vulpine knew that in just a few seconds, he would see the bunny.

_Judy…_ he thought to himself. _Tell me why I shouldn't join you right now…_

As the fox waited for an answer, a memory tugged at the back of his mind. Resisting it at first, Nick finally opened himself to it.

_He was in Nick's apartment. The fox found himself staring at the life size mirror, groaning audibly. The vulpine could hear some creature in the bathroom, getting ready. After a couple of minutes passed, Judy called out, "Well, Nick? Are you ready to go?"_

"_I look stupid in this penguin suit."_

_Judy giggled, and came around the corner and entered the room. "Now, now, Nick… Imagine then how you'd feel if you were a penguin."_

"_Thank God I'm not one, then. I'd kill myself."_

_Judy laughed again, her voice like music to his ears. She pushed Nick around, and reached up, adjusting his tie. She looked up at him and smiled, "You are a very handsome fox. You'll pull in a lucky vixen with this outfit."_

But I don't want a vixen…. I want you, _Nick thought to himself, but he smiled. "And you as well… I mean, you look beautiful in that dress."_

_It was true. Judy had worn a dark navy blue, strapless dress, turquoise colored earrings and black high heels on her feet. At the words, Judy stepped away, her cheeks reddening as she slowly blushed. _

"_Why do we have to go to his stupid ceremony?" Nick whined._

"_Because the mayor wanted to honor Bogo for his years of service. Fifteen years as chief may not seem of any importance, but" Judy rolled her eyes. "Politics."_

"_That still doesn't answer my question."_

_Judy gave him a light slap on the arm. "We're going to give our support, idiot. Now let's get moving, we're going to be late."_

_As she turned around, Nick found himself watching her walk, entranced with everything about her. After a couple of seconds, Nick snapped out of his trance and followed. They left the apartment building, took a left and started walking down the street. Within fifteen minutes, they were at the Zootopia Convention Center, where the celebration was._

_Giving their invitation to the doorman, the vulpine and the bunny walked inside. They were greeted by a huge ballroom, with balloons lining the place from the floor to the ceiling. To the back of the room, food lined the tables as creatures mingled amongst each other._

_The night went by a whirl and Nick left Judy to speak with some officers that he knew from a different precinct. He looked to the other side and found Judy chatting with a different bunny. She was nodding politely to whatever the bunny was saying, while holding her purse in both of her hands._

_Suddenly, music started, and the bunny pulled her to the dance floor, as Nick watched. They danced together, and Nick, believing that she was having fun, had moved to the punch bowl. Pouring himself a drink, he felt a tap on his shoulder._

_The fox turned around and saw Bogo. The Cape buffalo grunted his greeting, and the vulpine poured another cup, giving it to his boss._

"_I hate celebrations." Bogo rolled his eyes. "Especially when they're about me."_

_Nick watched Judy, and after a couple of seconds passed, spoke. "I don't know… They're not that bad."_

_Bogo chuckled. "You and parties? I've got to see that."_

_Nick turned and looked at his boss. "Hey, I'll have you know that I'm popular at parties." Bogo chuckled at that response. _

"_You hate it don't you?"_

_Nick slowly nodded his head and turned his attention back to the bunny. "Usually… not this one."_

_Bogo looked at Nick and saw that his attention was directed somewhere else. He followed Nick's eye line and saw that it rested on Judy. Slowly putting two and two together, Bogo decided to keep his mouth shut. Instead, he chuckled to himself, gave Nick a hard slap on the back and left the fox._

_The tempo of the music changed to a slow song. Judy was still stuck with her partner, as they danced slowly. The duo turned around, and as Nick watched, he sighed and shook his head. Mustering up his courage, the fox finished his drink, threw it in the trash can and made his move. The vulpine weaved his way through the crowd of creatures and stopped the duo._

"_Do you mind if I cut in?" he asked Judy's partner._

_The bunny looked at her and back at the fox. He scoffed but didn't make a fight. Instead he let go and nodded, "She's all yours," his voice laced with ice._

"_Thanks, buddy."_

_The bunny rolled his eyes and walked in the direction of the food. Both Judy and Nick watched him go. As they slowly danced to the music, Judy looked at her partner and spoke, "Thanks for that. He was infuriating."_

"_Really? Seemed like you were having fun."_

"_He talked about himself nonstop all night. Nothing like being conceited to make you look great."_

"_Creatures can change," Nick paused. "I have."_

_Judy looked at the fox again and gave a small smile. "That's because you did it on your own."_

"_Don't sell yourself short, Carrots. You had a huge role in it."_

_Judy smiled again, and Nick continued, "And that's a debt I'll never repay." _

_The music continued and the two slowly moved to the beat. After a couple of seconds, Judy placed her head on Nick's chest, and gave a deep sigh. "I'm glad to have met you, Nick."_

"_So am I…. So am I."_

Nick's eyes snapped open and the fox stumbled backwards, stopping as his back hit the steel pole. _That's a debt I'll never repay_ echoed in his mind. "And I never will!" he screamed to himself. "I can't ever repay you, Judy… So, let me end it now."

In his still-inebriated state, Judy's voice entered his mind. _Okay… you've done well. Come and join me._ An image of the bunny appeared in his mind; her paw stretched out.

Nick smiled to himself and took a small step forward. As he did, he heard something ring, over the roar of traffic. He shook his head and fished into his pocket. The fox pulled out his phone and looked at the name: JENNIFER SNOW

The vixen appeared in his mind, as her voice echoed,_ I can't dictate your actions, but you'll have to accept the consequences._

_Do it Nick… Jump and join me… _ That was Judy.

_You can share your past when you're ready, and I'll share mine. _Snow again

Tears sprang into his eyes as Nick shook his head. Snow's voice continued. _But what I can do, is to be there for you… _

The fox took a step backwards, as the phone rang in his paw. Ignoring it, Wilde shoved it back into his pocket and grabbed the final bottle of beer out of the case. He turned and threw it off the bridge, watching it disappear into the tree canopy below.

His longing to be with Judy collided with his feelings for Jennifer Snow. The vision of the arctic vixen appeared in his mind and the vulpine slowly shook his head. As the fox looked at the tree canopy below him, he couldn't decide how he felt about Snow. He knew that Snow had been with him, encouraged him and stood up for him, but he couldn't imagine being with another animal, other than Judy.

_But what I can do…. Is to be there for you._

Nick looked up and watched the sun gleam off the sands of Sahara Square. Nick swallowed and nodded his head. _That's the problem with holding on, because you can't hold onto it forever. It'll destroy you… _Snow spoke.

With that thought, Nick nodded to himself. He turned around and started to walk back onto the maintenance path and make his way off the bridge. He had a long drive before him.

/

_Zootopia – Nick's Trailer_

Jennifer Snow grunted with frustration as she wrestled on the door handle leading to the trailer. She had pulled up and saw that it was dark, but it didn't stop her. "You… stupid… fox!" she muttered to herself as she pulled on the locked door. "Why… do… you… never… talk… to… me!"

After the final word, she gave up and spun around with frustration. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Pressing a button, she placed it against her ear and prayed that she could hear Nick's voice.

It went to voice mail again and Snow threw her hands up with exasperation. The vixen shook to herself and dialed another number.

Once the voice answered, Snow spoke, "Anything?"

"Nothing." Clawhauser responded, his voice sad. Before Snow could hang up, Clawhauser spoke again, "Bogo's back. He told me to connect you to him if you called again."

"Thanks, Clawhauser." Snow spoke. "I appreciate it."

Clawhauser didn't answer, and Snow was greeted with a click, then a ringing noise. Finally, a deep voice entered the line. "Hello?"

Not adhering to formalities, the vixen spoke, "What do you want?" As soon as she said, she immediately regretted it and bit her lip with anticipation.

There was a pause. "Because you're a good officer, Snow…I'm going to let that slide." Bogo spoke. "You didn't show up to work. Why?"

"With all due respect, sir. You know why."

There was a beat and Bogo answered. "That doesn't matter, Snow. You have a job to do and you need to come back to do it. "

"And what about Nick?"

"He made his choice."

"What did you say to him, Bogo? What did Nick talk to you about?"

There was silence on the line for a few seconds. Finally, the Chief spoke, "It's none of your business, Snow."

The vixen groaned audibly, and spoke, her voice raising with each inch of anger that was boiling in her, "Well, you'd better figure out where Nick is, Bogo! Whatever happened in the office hurt him and now he's missing! Do you even care about him?"

"Officer Snow!" Bogo roared. "Don't ever talk to me like that again! When you get back to the precint, I want you to turn…." The Chief suddenly stopped himself, and before he continued, the vixen finished his sentence, "Turn in my badge? That's what you were going to say, wasn't it?" Snow shook her head. "Bogo… what's going on?"

Bogo sighed and continued by ignoring the question, "Snow… I can't control what that fox does. But I am still your Chief and you need to come back to the precinct."

Snow paused; her inner turmoil evident on her face. Her loyalty to her job and her desire to help Nick fought against each other. Finally, she spoke, making her decision. "I'm sorry Bogo. My friend's more important to me than my job." With that, she hung up her phone.

As soon as she did, she tossed it on the passenger seat and looked up. Realization what she had just done hit her and she opened her mouth with shock. _Oh my God… _She thought to herself. _What did I just do?_

Snow cursed softly to herself and reached back to her phone. After picking it up, Snow sighed. _I need to call him back and apologize._

As soon as she started to dial, her finger hovered over the final number needed to complete the sequence. She hesitated for a few seconds. An image of Nick appeared in her mind, followed by an image of a familiar animal. She sighed again and erased the sequence. "I've made my choice." She muttered to herself.

The vixen pressed a number again and placed it against her ear for what seemed like the millionth time that day.

_Zootopia – On the Freeway_

Nicholas Wilde kept his eyes on the road, as he weaved expertly through the traffic on the freeway. He sighed to himself as he shook his head. This was the last thing he wanted to do, but he knew that he needed to do it.

And it was all thanks to Snow. _I need to let _go. He thought to himself. The vixen appeared in his mind, and Nick couldn't help but smile. He was grateful for Snow, but she was right. He had tried letting go, but he failed every single time. Wilde knew that he needed to do something that would help him move on.

As he drove, the building of the city disappeared as it slowly turned into rural country. The fox sighed to himself as he shifted into his seat. The sun was already starting to set, but the fox didn't care. His phone rang again, and Nick glanced at the device on the passenger seat. He sighed and nodded to himself again, deciding that it was time.

The fox grabbed the phone and, clicked it open and spoke, "Go for Wilde."

A curse was heard, then Jennifer Snow's voice was heard. "Nicholas Wilde!" she screamed.

Nick held the phone away from his ear as a string of curses wafted through the air. After several seconds of listening to curses, Nick decided to interject. "Good to hear you too, Snow."

"Where were you?" Snow cussed again.

"Just out and about?"

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME YOU GOT FIRED?"

Nick chuckled. "I may have forgotten that part."

That response got more curses from Snow, then finally the vixen spoke "I'm so happy to hear your voice, Nick. I've been worried about you."

The fox nodded. "Thanks Snow. I'm fine."

"You didn't do anything stupid, right?"

Nick immediately thought to the bridge. He cleared his throat and spoke, "No more than what I usually do."

"Well… where are you?"

The fox hesitated, then decided to be truthful. "Headin' out of town for a few days. I need to clear my head."

"Okay… Where?"

Nick chuckled again. "Out of town, Snow. It's something I need to do."

There was a pause at the end of the line. Then Snow spoke. "Okay… You'd better call me when you come back."

"Don't worry, I will."

"And Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't do anything stupid."

Nick smiled softly. "I won't… I promise." With that statement, he said his goodbyes and tossed the phone back onto the passenger seat. As soon as he did, he glanced back on the road and saw that he was passing a sign.

The vulpine nodded to himself as the familiar words popped up, reading "Bunnyburrow – 125 miles.

/

_Zootopia – Jennifer Snow's Apartment_

Noises of traffic slowly dimmed as Jennifer Snow held a steaming mug of coffee in her hands as she glanced outside the slider to her back porch. She looked at the sky and was greeted with the slow setting sun. She sighed as she nodded to herself. _Nick can take care of himself_.

She turned around and walked to her couch, and after sitting down on it, the vixen placed the mug on the coaster on the coffee table. _I can't imagine what he's going through._

The past several weeks had been a whirlwind for both, and the vixen knew that it took a toll on the fox. The death of two fellow officers was the tipping point of him leaving the force, she knew, but she couldn't help but worry that Nick was alone.

She glanced sideways at a framed picture on the table. The fox stood up and walked towards it. After picking it up, she examined the glued frame, as she remembered throwing it against the wall. Tears erupted in her eyes, as a familiar voice entered her mind.

_But he's not alone… he has you._

"But I've done everything I can to try to help him. I don't think anything's working."

_ Don't let him delve deeper into the darkness._

"I won't… I promise you."

_He lost someone, as you have lost me… Don't let him make the same mistakes as you._

"But he almost did… I don't know how to help him anymore."

_You just have to trust him. Trust yourself and the two of you will be fine._

Snow nodded her head, quickly wiping her tears. "I love you… I miss you so much…"

_I love you too…_

Snow placed the picture back on the table and turned around. As she walked away, the moon appeared from behind the clouds and shone its silvery light on the picture, revealing two foxes in wedding attire embracing. One fox was black as midnight, and the other was white as snow.

/

_Zootopia – On the road to Bunnyburrow_

There was an accident on the road, causing the interstate to be shut down. Nick had swore to himself multiple times, took an exit and decided to attend the 40 West, where he would then take the 67 South, before finally taking the 210 East into Bunnyburrow.

The vulpine looked at the clock that was on the dashboard, reading 4:10 pm. He groaned audibly, knowing that the detour would take him another two hours before arriving in Bunnyburrow. He shook his head to himself, as nervousness and anticipation creeped into the depths of his stomach. The fox took a deep sigh and reminded himself that it was the only thing that he can do. Wilde glanced at the phone on the passenger seat and shook his head. A few minutes passed, and the fox looked back at the device.

Finally, the vulpine grabbed his phone and hesitated. Tapping the phone against his chin, the fox pondered for several minutes about whether or not he wanted to make _the _call. Finally, mustering his courage, the vulpine dialed in a number and raised it to his ear. It rang for a couple of minutes, and a familiar voice picked up the other line. "Hopps residence, this is Bonnie speaking."

Nick exhaled and shook his head. "Hello? Hello?" the voice on the other line spoke. "Anyone there?"

The vulpine abruptly hung up the phone and tossed it back on the passenger chair next to him. Keeping his right paw on the wheel and his left arm resting on the door, Nick leaned his face on his free paw.

_Why should I have called her in the first place? She still blames me for everything…_

Nick was silent, devoid of thought for another mile. Finally, he sighed again, sadness creeping up on him. _First it was Stu…. Then Judy…. Bonnie must have taken it hard…_

The vulpine remembered the first time he met Stu Hopps. Judy had introduced him to her parents on the day they graduated. For every other creature, their parents wouldn't have shown up, considering they already graduated from the ZPD. But because Judy was a keynote speaker for Nick's class on graduation day, both Bonnie and Stu had shown up to offer their support, for both the bunny and fox.

Stu was an interesting bunny to say the least. It was obvious that Judy didn't take after her father. Very cautious about everything, Stu was what Nick wasn't. But still, the fox and the older bunny enjoyed each other's company, cracking jokes and learning what it was to be a farmer, and a hustler. At first, Nick was hesitant, but feeling the warm welcome from Judy's parents had caused him to discuss his previous life. That was when Stu became serious. They were sitting outside of their house, on the porch. Nick could hear the entire Hopps family chatting inside the house, but outside, everything was peaceful.

Stu leaned forward in his rocking chair and said with a serious voice, "Judy told me things about you, Nick, things that I wouldn't have believed if I have not met you."

"But… I'm glad to have met you. You seem like an honest fox."

Nick smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, sir."

Without warning, Stu spoke, "Do you like my daughter, Nick?"

"Yes. She's a wonderful bunny, and a perfect partner. We'll go well together."

"That's not what I mean."

Nick hesitated, then spoke, "I don't know what you mean, Stu."

The older bunny leaned back in his chair, stroking his mustache. "Okay, then… Promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"You'll take care of her."

The fox looked behind him through the window and saw Judy in the kitchen. She was helping her mother clean the counter. Upon the sight of his gaze, Judy smiled and waved at him. Nick turned and looked back at Stu. "I'll protect her with my life. She's given me everything and I can never repay that debt."

_I can never repay that debt…_

The thought echoed through his mind, causing Nick's eyes to swell up with tears. They had left Bunnyburrow with promises to return and visit occasionally. A month had passed, and Stu Hopps had died, a victim to a heart attack. _That was a hard day, _Nick thought to himself, as he let his mind return to that event.

_Nick was fast asleep in his bed. Darkness surrounded the room, as the moonlight attempted to penetrate through his heavy curtains. The roaring of traffic outside of his apartment had no influence on the slumbering fox._

_A loud knock on the door was heard and Nick's ear perked up, attempting to wake up the tired fox. After a couple of seconds passed, the ear fell backwards, believing that it was his imagination. The knock was heard again, this time louder and sharper than before, and the vulpine sat up in his bed. _

_Rubbing his eyes to erase sleep, Nick looked at the clock on the nightstand. It read 1:30 am, SAT. The vulpine stood up and groaned, his muscles protesting and asking him to go back to bed. Ignoring his tiredness, the vulpine walked through the hallway, and into his kitchen, pausing momentarily to open his pantry door. Behind the door, hung a pistol in its holster. Nick pulled the weapon out of concealment and shut the pantry door quietly._

_Holding the gun at his side and out of sight, Nick slowly tiptoed up to the door. He peered through the peephole, took a step back, confusion written on his face. The fox hurriedly put his gun back on the kitchen counter and moved back to the door, opening it. In front of him, Judy Hopps stood, her eyes puffy with tears and wringing her handkerchief. The bunny looked at her partner, causing Nick to turn on the lights into the apartment. Without a word, Judy burst into tears and leaned her head against the chest of the fox._

_Unsure of what to do, Nick wrapped his arms around the uncontrollable bunny. He looked up and down the hall, making sure no one was coming out of the apartment to see what was happening. He pulled Judy inside, shutting the door behind them._

_Looking down at the bunny, Nick attempted to raise her face, but to no avail, Judy was buried deep into his warm fur. He could feel it slowly becoming wet, as the bunny wailed and continued to cry._

_Keeping his arms around her, the vulpine moved backwards slowly, making sure to not bump into anything. Nick led her to the couch, sat down and Judy followed suit, her arms still wrapped around the waist of the vulpine. They embraced for several minutes, while Nick patted her, and with a gentle voice, attempted to soothe her._

_Finally, Judy untangled herself and leaned back against the couch, her eyes downcast, gazing on the floor. Nick stood up, walked to the kitchen, opened a cabinet and pulled out two mugs. Next, the fox moved to a different cabinet opened it and pulled out Earl Grey Tea, Judy's favorite, and then placed it on the counter. Turning back to the mugs, Nick filled both with water and placed them in the microwave. It wasn't the kettle, Nick knew, but it would have to do._

_After the mugs were hot, Nick took them out and placed them back on the counter. He picked two teabags and placed one in each mug. Walking quickly with both mugs in his hand, Nick moved back to Judy and gave her one. Nodding her thanks, Judy took the coffee mug and placed it on the glass coffee table. Nick did the same, and turned around and looked at the bunny, waiting for her to say the first word._

_Several minutes passed, and Judy turned and looked at the fox. "I'm really sorry, Nick. I didn't know who to turn to."_

_Nick smiled and nodded. "It's the least I could do." A pause happened, before the fox continued, "Do you want to talk about it?"_

_Judy sniffed and looked at the vulpine, tears filling her beautiful purple eyes. Nick grabbed her and brought her in close again. Leaning back against the armrest, Judy laid on his chest, tears rolling down her cheeks once again. _

_Finally, after Judy's tears turned into sniffling again, she leaned off Nick's chest and looked at the vulpine. "It…. It's my father."_

_Nick nodded; concern written over his face. "What happened?"_

"_He…. he…" Tears started to fill her face again causing her to grab a Kleenex from the coffee table. After wiping her eyes, Judy spoke, her voice quivering. "He passed away from a heart attack. I was just told by my mom… Oh Nick! My dad…." _

_Judy burst into tears again, and Nick shook his head, his heart heavy. He pulled Judy in close for a hug again, and it was there that they stayed for another hour. Nick was laying on the couch, with the bunny curled up against him. Once she had fallen asleep, Nick quietly and gently picked her off of his body and laid her against the couch. He moved to the closet, and opened it, pulling out a blanket. Laying the blanket over the sleeping, grief-stricken bunny, Nick turned around, walked back into his bedroom, and fell asleep._

_The smell of cooking food was what woke the fox up out of his slumber. He was confused for several minutes, before remembering the events that had happened that morning. The vulpine moved his legs off the bed, stood up and curiously walked through the hallway._

_Judy was at the stove, cooking whatever delicious aroma that it was emitting. Upon hearing the footsteps, Judy turned around and gave the fox a small smile. Nick nodded and gave a small wave before turning around again and disappearing into his bedroom._

_Throwing on a clean shirt and a fresh pair of pants, Nick hurried into the bathroom, brushed his teeth and made sure his fur was clean. Finally, the fox left the bathroom and went back into the kitchen, where Judy was waiting for him at the table._

_Gesturing to the food before him, Judy spoke, "I guess… this is a thank you for taking care of me this morning, Nick."_

_The fox casually waved off her thanks and nodded. "Oh, don't worry about that, Judy."_

_Judy took a step closer and stood up on her tiptoes. She leaned in and gave the vulpine a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Seriously, Nick… thank you. You're a good friend." The bunny moved back to her chair and sat in it. "Any vixen would be lucky to have you." She smiled._

_Feeling the sensation linger on his cheek, Nick could only return with a small smile. "You know me, Judy… I'm always here for you."_

_I'm always here for you…_

Another promise kept; another promise failed. Nick shook his head with despair. What kind of animal and partner was he? He made a promise to her father and herself, and what happened? He failed both promises, failing both animals.

_It's a debt that I can never repay…_

Nick twisted the wheel, causing his beloved Mustang to screech and turn. Nick moved off the two-lane freeway until he was found a small gravel road, in the middle of the countryside. The setting sun glowed, and a cool breeze wafted through the air, but Nick couldn't feel anything.

_I'll protect her with my life…_

The vulpine turned off the car, opened the door and got out, slamming it behind him and causing the window to rattle. Nick paced back and forth, running both his paws through his fur on his head. Traffic roared in the distance, but the noise was nothing compared to the churning emotions in his soul. Pain, sorrow, and regret overwhelmed him, and Nick banged his paw on the trunk of his car.

_I'm always here for you…_

Nick roared with sorrow and rage, moved to the driver side window, and paused for a second.

_She's given me everything…_

Balling his paw into a fist, the vulpine threw a punch with all of his might. The window shattered causing pieces of glass to embed itself in his skin. Not feeling the pain, Nick turned around and sank down to his knees, as tears rolled down his face.

"Oh Judy… I'm so sorry…. I'm so sorry…."

Half an hour had passed, and Nick stayed sitting in the same position, his back to the car, as he was alone in his thought. Suddenly, he could hear a rumbling noise and he slowly looked up.

A bunny was on his tractor, and had started to pass by, heading back to his farmhouse. He had heard a screeching noise and decided to investigate. Upon seeing Nick and the Mustang, the farmer raised his flashlight, stopped his tractor and called out, "Engine trouble?"

Nick shook his head and waved his free paw. "I'm alright."

The farmer looked up and down at the fox. Sighing, the older bunny turned off his tractor, and slowly climbed down. He walked to the fox and stopped, putting his paws on his waist. "Your hand, son… You sure you're doing okay?"

Nick looked at his right paw and was surprised to see that he wasn't feeling any pain. He slowly nodded. "I'm fine. I'm sorry to have bothered you."

"You're not using?"

The vulpine looked up at the concerned farmer and gave a small chuckle. "No… I'm not using."

The farmer slowly nodded his head. He reached in the pocket of his overall and after a few seconds pulled out a long dark blue bandanna. "Well, son. I'd get that hand looked at, if I were you. But for the moment, let me see it."

Nick hesitated for a second, then obliged. The farmer took his hand and inspected it, seeing few pieces of glass. "So… what happened, son? You got in a fight with your window and the window won?"

Nick grimaced as the farmer pulled a piece out. "I guess you can say that."

The farmer paused for several seconds, reading the vulpine's facial expression. Finally, he spoke, "If I had to hazard a guess… you're heartbroken."

"How'd you know that?"

"I've got a sense about these things."

Nick hesitated and shook his head. "Actually… She died. Four months ago… She was a good friend of mine, and I'm driving to Bunnyburrow…but to be honest… I have no idea why."

"She buried here?"

"I think so… why?"

The farmer stopped his work and looked back at the vulpine. "Sometimes to let go of a heavy heart, creatures visit the gravesite of their loved ones. It's… therapeutic, I guess… I mean, it helped me."

"You lost someone?"

"Aye… my wife. Last year… cancer."

"I'm sorry for your loss…. How'd you cope?"

The farmer sighed. "I didn't… until I visited her last month. When I did, I felt a huge weight off my shoulders. You should try it."

Nick sighed and nodded. "I'll think about it."

They were silent for a few minutes, before the farmer nodded. "There, the glass' out. I'd suggest you go clean that before it becomes infected and see a doctor."

"I'll take care of it, sir." Nick nodded. "Thank you for everything."

"No problem, sonny." The older bunny stood up and climbed back on his tractor. Turning it on, the farmer gave a farewell wave with his paw. Nick waved back. After a couple of seconds, the fox slowly stood up, opened his door and sat in the car. He turned around and fished for something. Once his paw clasped the familiar shape, Nick pulled it out and saw that it was a bottle of whiskey. He got out of the car again, unscrewed the bottle with his good paw and poured all of its contents on it.

The fox grimaced with pain as the burning alcohol washed away the blood. When it was empty, Nick tossed the bottle onto the passenger seat of the car, and immediately started wrapping his paw with the blue bandanna. After he was done, Nick watched the setting sun and sighed.

Finally, Nick sat down in his car, pulled out the phone that was next to the bottle and dialed a number. After a couple of rings, a voice answered, "Hopps' residence! This is Bonnie speaking."

"Hello, Mrs. Hopps."

There was silence on the other line for a couple of seconds. "Nicholas Wilde!" Bonnie screeched. "It's so good to hear from you!"

Nick was taken aback. That wasn't the greeting that he was expecting. "It's good to hear your voice, too Mrs. Hopps."

"What are you doing these days, Nick? Still on the job, I hope?"

Nick turned on his car, and slowly navigated his way back onto the freeway. He hesitated for a few minutes, debating whether to tell the truth. Bonnie had been one of his biggest supporters when he went through the academy and joined the force. Finally, he reached a decision, hoping that he wouldn't regret it later.

"Yeah. Still on the ZPD" he lied "Listen, Mrs. Hopps… I just happen to be in town and just wanted to know if… if Judy's buried here. I know that we didn't have a funeral, but I was hoping that she was at least buried or given a headstone."

There was a pause, then Bonnie spoke, "Old Willow Cemetery."

Nick nodded to himself. "Thanks, Bonnie."

Silence reigned the car, except for the whipping noise of the air passing through the car. Finally, Bonnie spoke, "Nick… I would love to see you again. You know you are always welcomed in my home… Do you want to have dinner tomorrow night?"

Nick sighed to himself. As much as he wanted to say yes, he knew that he would experience more pain. Finally, he spoke "I'd love to, Miss Hopps… but I can't. I need to go back to Zootopia later today."

"I understand." Bonnie's voice was tinged with disappointment. "But as I've said, you're always welcome. My door is open to you."

A lone tear rolled down his cheek as Nick nodded his head. "Thanks, Bonnie."

/

_Zootopia – Bunnyburrow_

Nick had finally crossed the town line at 7: 25 pm, two more hours than when he was expected to arrive. Making a beeline to the hotel, Nick checked himself in immediately. He climbed up the stairs and entered the key into his room. The door opened with a click and Nick stepped inside, surprised with how homey the room was.

Throwing his suitcase on the other bed, the fox turned around and laid down on the second furniture. Spreading on the bed, Wilde closed his eyes, and waited for sleep to take over.

He woke up like a thunderbolt to light streaming down on his face through the window. Nick groaned and stood up, watching the sun rise up from beyond the horizon. He fixed his shirt, closed the curtains, turned around and left the room.

Within an hour, Nick pulled up to the curb and shut off the engine. He undid his seatbelt and pulled the flowers off the passenger seat. Getting out of his Mustang, Nick shut the door behind him, hearing the glass rattle from the broken window. Out of habit, Nick locked his car, with a loud _chirp_.

The vulpine walked through the gate that read "Old Willow Cemetery," and looked around, unsure where to start. After spending a couple of minutes wandering around, a voice stopped Nick in his tracks. He turned around and saw a bunny, dressed in a green work jacket and blue jeans. "Something I can help you with? I'm the groundskeeper around here parts."

Nick nodded. "I'm looking for a grave."

The bunny chuckled. "You are in a cemetery Mister. There are lots of graves around. You're gunna have to be more specific."

"I'm looking for Judy Hopps."

"The officer that was killed in duty?" the bunny nodded his head. "Such a shame…. Yeah, I know where she is. Just keep walking down that way for five minutes or so. You'll find a large hill. Go up that and she'll be on top, under the old willow tree."

"The old willow tree. Thank you." Nick nodded. He turned around and did what the groundskeeper told him.

He walked for several minutes and found the hill that the groundskeeper was talking about. The vulpine climbed up the hill with ease and stopped when he reached the top. As he turned around, he was taken aback by the view.

The view was wonderful, and Nick knew that Judy would have loved it. In the distance, he could see the sprawling town of Bunnyburrow its countryside. He could see the road that he took to arrive at the cemetery. The sun hit the grass, illuminating it in gold and green, blinding the vulpine for several seconds. After observing the scene before him, the vulpine turned around and stepped under the shade of the old willow tree.

True to Bonnie and the groundskeeper's words, a headstone rested at the top of the grave site. Nick moved to the side, out of respect and squinted, reading the words.

JUDY HOPPS

FEBRUARY 24, 1992 – MAY 15, 2019

WONDERFUL OFFICER, DAUGHTER, PARTNER, FRIEND

MAY SHE FIND REST, KNOWING SHE PROTECTED AND SERVED

Nick sighed, feeling the tears fill his eyes again. He knelt down and placed the flowers on the headstone and looked back at the etching. A picture of Judy flashed across his mind, and Nick quickly rubbed his eye, as a tear threatened to roll down his cheek. He stood back up and shook his head, as he felt guilt weigh down on his heart.

_I'll protect her with my life… she's given me everything…. I'm always here for you…_

The memories rumbled in Nick's mind as the collapsed against the headstone, tears running down his face. "I'm so sorry, Judy… I've failed you..." The vulpine wept for several minutes and when he was done, he moved back, his paw slowly feeling the smoothness of the stone. "There's nothing left for me… Judy… I don't know what to do. There's no one in this world who cared for me more than you…"

"And that's why I need to put them down… Judy. I already did… I found three of them. They were part of the group who killed you and took you out of my life… I won't stop… I can't stop… Judy… You are the only thing that matter and I will never let anyone destroy my memory of you…" The fox stood up, shaking his head, and continued, his voice cracking. "But… I want to be with you, Judy…."

_You're the best officer I have ever seen…._

Her words echoed through Nick's mind. "But I'm still far from the truth, Judy! And now I just found out that Bogo, our Chief, is involved in this somehow! What do I do, Judy?"

_ Protect and Serve…. Protect and Serve…_

"What do you think I've been doing, Judy? I've sacrificed everything for Zootopia! I've sacrificed my friends, my family, my life… and I sacrificed you! My entire three years on the ZPD has been nothing but _protecting and serving!_ Where has that gotten us? Pain and misery!" Nick voice cracked again with emotion as he sunk down to his knees. "Judy… I'm all alone…"

_But you're not…_

A picture of Jennifer Snow flashed through his mind and Nick was taken aback. His heart raced at the sight of the vixen, her smile, and her turquoise colored eyes. Even her fur was enticing to the vulpine.

_You deserve to be happy, Nick_… Judy's voice echoed. _Any vixen would be lucky to have you…_

Nick's mind flashed back to the pool of blood and Judy laying lifeless. Anger and regret filled his voice as he spat out, "But I don't want a vixen… I want you, Judy…. And I promise you, I will find each and every one and make them pay!"

_But that's not how we do things, Nick…_ Snow and Judy's voices mingled together. Finally, Judy's voice became louder and clearer. _You need to keep pushing and forgive yourself. Once you do, you can finally move on._

"What if I don't want to?"

_Then don't… but all of your work would have been for nothing._

Nick sighed and slowly nodded his head. Judy's voice entered his mind, once more. _Talk to her, Nick… explain everything and she will help you._

The fox shook his head immediately. "I'm not ready for that."

_But that's what partners are for… they're there to share the burden with you. Talk to her._

"But how can I? How can I explain to her that I didn't have your back?"

_That's why you need to forgive yourself. Forgive yourself and let go. Let go of me._

"But…"

_Trust me, Nick… Trust me when I say that everything'll be fine._

"I'm not ready."

_No one ever is. Look at Snow… she's struggled with the same thing as you. Talk to her._

Nick sniffled and spoke, "Will she help?"

_One way to find out._

The fox chuckled to himself as he placed his paw on the smooth tombstone. He nodded and spoke, "Okay… I'll try. I'll talk to Snow."

_Promise?_

"I promise."

With that word, Wilde was silent as he gazed on the tombstone, reading the words again several times. Finally, the fox turned around and watched the sun continue to climb into the sky. As a cool breeze ruffled his fur, he turned around and started to walk down the hill, knowing that he had a promise to keep.


	11. Chapter 10: Letting Go

Chapter Ten: Letting Go

_Zootopia – Jennifer Snow's Apartment_

The phone rang in the distance, awakening Jennifer Snow from her slumber. She groaned and flipped over to her side, grabbing the pillow and shoving it over her head. The phone rang for several times before it stopped. At the silence, Snow repositioned herself by bringing the pillow from the top of her head back to its rightful place. She gratefully sighed, as the warm blankets of her bed pulled the fox back to sleep.

The phone rang again, its shrill tone echoing through her apartment. Snow groaned again and threw off her blankets. She swiveled her body and stood up. Turning to her left, the fox started to walk and rub her eyes at the same time, encouraging drowsiness to disappear.

Pain flashed through her toe as she slammed it against the door frame. Snow cursed in the dark, and after several seconds of hopping on one foot, she placed her injured toe back on the ground. The phone continued to ring as the arctic vixen limped across the hallway and into the kitchen. As she entered the kitchen, she glanced to her right, across the living room and outside.

It was pitch black and frustration overwhelmed Snow. "It's not even light out!"

She turned her attention back to the ringing phone. As soon as she picked it up in her hand, it stopped ringing. Snow cursed softly to herself as she clicked on the "home" button on the phone. As soon as the lock screen appeared, revealing two missed calls, the phone started to ring again, revealing a call from the one animal she didn't want to hear from that early in the morning.

Snow sighed resignedly and clicked on the answer button. "What do you want, Clawhauser?"

"Good morning to you too, Jennifer." A tired voice responded. "I'm on the night shift right now and… I HATE IT!"

"Clawhauser… just get to it, please."

"Well, you've got a case."

Snow immediately shook her head. "Today's not my shift. Give it to Hornigold. He's healing and I bet he's itching for something to do."

Clawhauser gave a small chuckle. "You know that's against department policy, Jennifer. With Hornigold out, and Nick gone, the department needs all hands on deck. That means you too."

"I know, Clawhauser… I know" Snow rubbed one paw on her face tiredly. "I'll be at the ZPD in… half an hour?"

"Don't go to the ZPD." Clawhauser responded. "You're needed at a convenience store. Forensics are already on the scene."

"Okay… which one?"

"Rolling Sands on the corner of Pyramid and Rameses, in Sahara Square."

Snow yawned and nodded her head. "I know that one. Okay… I need to get changed, and I'll be on the way."

"And Snow?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" Clawhauser's voice had a hint of concern within it.

"I'm fine, Clawsie. It's been a rough day yesterday. I guess I'm just angry that no one told me."

"I see…." A pause passed, then Clawhauser spoke again, "Well, good luck!"

"Thanks."

With that sentence, Snow hung up her phone and threw her paws in the air as she looked at the time which was flashing on the microwave. It showed that she only slept for three hours. The vixen immediately walked to the coffee maker and turned it on. While it was brewing, the arctic vixen turned around on her heels and marched to the bedroom. After changing her clothes, appropriate for work, Snow went into the bathroom and continued to get ready.

Ten minutes later, the coffee maker dinged as the vixen walked into the kitchen. She opened a cupboard, grabbed a travel mug and lid, and poured her coffee into it. After prepping the coffee to meet her taste, Snow picked up her purse, and marched out of the door locking it behind her.

The vixen made her way down the hall and into the elevator. Once she reached the parking garage, she unlocked her car with a loud _chirp_. When she arrived at the vehicle, Snow placed the purse on the top of her car, opened the door and placed her travel mug into the cup holder. As the vixen backed out, she misjudged the distance, and banged her head against the door frame.

Snow immediately rubbed her head, as pain coursed through the back of her skull. The fox shook her head and thought while grabbing her purse, _It's going to be one of _those_ days huh?_

With that sentence in her mind, she started the car, and drove out of the parking garage. She took a right, then once arriving at the intersection, she turned left, heading for Sahara Square, the moon shining the way as it was still a few hours left until dawn.

/

_Zootopia – Bunnyburrow- Later That Day_

Nick Wilde sat in his beloved Mustang, a cool breeze wafting through the driver's window, a reminder to the fox that he needed to get it fixed when he got back to the town. But that was the least of his concerns, as he sat across the street from the house he thought that he would never see again.

The house was buried in the small hill of Bunnyburrow. Each house in Bunnyburrow was the same, yet the layout on the inside differed, depending on the size of the family. It seemed small from the outside, but Nick knew that looks was deceiving as it was massive inside. The grass of the hill covered the small, yet sturdy, wooden frame of the home. A chimney stack was on top of the hill, smoke floating out of it, an evidence that someone was home. Windows stuck out from the hill, providing sunlight and a look to the outside for the creatures from the inside.

_My door's always open to you._ Bonnie Hopps' voice echoed through his mind. _You're always welcomed here._

Even though the fox told Bonnie that he wanted to go back to Zootopia that day, he still felt a need to see her. He sighed with worry, as anxiety started to creep in. The vulpine chuckled to himself as he shook his head. _I've nearly gotten blown up, jumped off a cliff, been shot and ran into a burning house… but I can't go see the mother of my friend?_

But this was different, and Nick knew it. It was the first time that he'd been there without Judy. Every time that Judy wanted to visit her parents, Nick had tagged along, and he loved that they welcomed him with open arms.

Nick was unsurprised when Judy told him that she had a bully, who was also a fox, named Gideon Grey, who always picked on her. It was this bully that shaped Bonnie and Stu's preconceived notion of foxes.

But he immediately became pleased when Judy told him that their perception changed and it was evident on the first day he visited them. They had welcomed him into their home with open arms, Bonnie, Stu and all of their two hundred and seventy six kids.

Nick drummed his fingers nervously on the steering wheel of his car as he pondered whether or not he wanted to see her. A huge part of the fox wanted him to just turn on the car and press the gas pedal to the floor, screech off into the distance and never see the Hopps family again. But Nick knew that if he had done so, he would carry that regret for the rest of his life. The vulpine sighed and shook his head, _And I've already have enough regrets in my life…_

"But it won't be the same…" Nick spoke out loud to himself. He attempted to reason with himself. "Judy's gone… Stu's gone… it's just Bonnie and the kids… They don't need to see me. I don't need to give them another animal to worry about."

With that thought in mind, Nick nodded to himself, sure of what he wanted to do. He started his car, put his left arm out of the window, and casted a sideways glance at the house. The fox sighed, pressed on the gas and started to drive. Once he reached the end of the street, he turned to his right and started driving on an old country road, searching for a freeway that would take him back to Zootopia.

/

_Zootopia – Rolling Sands Market, Sahara Square—Few Hours Earlier_

Jennifer Snow pulled up into the parking lot. An officer stood before her and at the sight of the vixen, the uniformed officer walked up to her. The vixen shut off her engine, grabbed her coffee cup and stepped out. After closing the door and locking the car with a _chirp_, she looked at the patrolman.

"What do we have?" she asked while taking a sip of her coffee.

The officer nodded in the direction of the store. "Seems like a robbery, ma'am. They came in and went out in a matter of minutes."

Ignoring the flashing lights of the police car, Snow nodded her head and walked through the small parking lot. She stood outside and looked through the windows to the inside. Forensics were on the scene, hard at work, and the vixen looked up and noticed a camera perched on the corner. "They work?"

The officer nodded. "Yes ma'am. But the quality's bad. We didn't find who the animal was. But there was two of them."

"Alright. Does forensics have a copy of the tape?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Thank you, officer." At that statement, the uniformed animal nodded his head, and returned to his post. Snow turned her attention back to the small convenience store, ignoring the dry heat the emanated from the rolling dunes behind her. She took another sip of the coffee and stepped inside, being careful to not get into the way of the CSU team. An animal out caught her eye, and she turned towards them.

Abby was near the frozen food section, taking pictures. She turned around when she heard pawsteps approach and the wombat beamed at the sight of Snow. "Guess everyone's got the early shift today, huh?"

Snow nodded her head. "You've got that right, Abby. What's going on here?"

The wombat blinked her eyes and spoke, "Robbery. One dead, unfortunately. He's behind the cash register. Also… Bogo was just here, so apologies if…" She gestured to the small store.

Snow nodded her head again. "That's alright, Abby. Bogo can do anything he wants." She spoke, ice creeping into her voice.

Abby didn't notice Snow's hostility, but instead nodded in a direction. Snow followed her gaze through the aisle and rested upon the table. The vixen could see that the medical examiner team was already on the scene and at work. "That's where he is."

"Any witnesses?"

Abby nodded. She pointed to her left and spoke, "That's her."

Snow followed the wombat's finger and saw that it was resting upon a female camel. She nodded her head again, and asked, "Okay… What did they steal?"

"That's the darndest thing though." Abby spoke. "Seems like they came into the store and made a beeline to this section. Took two jugs of milk and started to leave. When the owner tried to stop them, the robbers shot him."

"Two jugs of milk?" Snow spoke, surprise evident in her voice. "And she saw everything?"

Abby nodded. "Everything. But it's going to take a while to get any information from her."

Snow sighed. "She's in shock. I get it."

"Ehh…that's not it." Abby responded.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… we have an interpreter coming in to help us talk to her."

Snow looked at the wombat. "She's not from Zootopia?"

"Not necessarily." The wombat shook her head. "She can't hear."

Realization struck her. "She's deaf?"

Abby nodded again. "That's right. She only communicates with her hands and… no one can understand her. But we've got an interpreter. Once they arrive, we can talk to her."

Snow looked at the wombat and gave a small smile. "Hold this." She spoke, handing the coffee mug to the animal. The arctic vixen then turned and walked towards the camel

Abby took the cup and after several seconds, curiosity overtook her and the wombat followed her friend.

The arctic vixen wiped her paws on her shirt, getting rid of the sweat as nervousness started to set in. The camel looked up from the ground and looked at the vixen, her eyes red and puffy. Snow took a deep breath and exhaled.

In an attempt to communicate, she put out both of her paws, with her palms in an upward fashion. After moving her paws in an inward and outside fashion, shaking it, the fox used her right paw and had the palm of her paw being pushed towards the camel. Finally, to complete the sentence, Snow curled her fingers and thumb inwards, except for her pointer and middle finger on the both of her paws. She then placed the fingers on her right paw on top of the fingers on her left paw.

Through her tears, the camel beamed. She responded in rapid fire, her hands seemingly flailing in the air to an observing animal. But Snow immediately placed her paw up in the air, stopping the camel. The vixen then placed her left paw on her right arm and dragged it upwards. After she did so, she took her right paw and placed it on her chest, moving it in a circular motion.

Abby leaned in and whispered. "What did you say?"

Snow held up a finger, asking the camel to wait. She looked back at the wombat and spoke, "I asked what her name was. When she saw that I knew sign, she started to respond… but she was too quick for me. So I told her to slow down."

After she responded, she looked at the camel and merely nodded her head. The camel signed back, responding. Snow quickly took out her phone and typed into it and nodded her head. "Her name's Victoria." She spoke out of the side of her mouth. "She… was outside taking the…" the fox stopped and put her phone in her pocket and signed, "Again…" with her left palm facing the ceiling and her fingers on her right paw hitting the palm.

The camel nodded her head and signed the word. Snow shook her head, then after several seconds of retrying, realization struck her and she mouthed, "Trash?"

Victoria nodded her head, happy that she could continue with her story. Ten minutes later, Snow finally got all the information she needed from the owner's wife. She thanked the camel, turned around and walked back down to where she and Abby stood. Once the vixen arrived to the spot, she spun around and grabbed the coffee mug out of Abby's hand.

"Well?" Abby inquired. "You gunna tell me how you learned all that?"

Snow sighed and spoke, "The academy encourages the cadets to know more than one language. So I took three college courses of ZSL, Zootopian Sign Language. This is the first time I've actually used it in my career!" Snow shook her head. "Can't believe I still remember all that."

The wombat nodded her head, surprised. "Well… good work!"

Snow looked at her friend and spoke, "You know… the patrol officer could have done this. All it would have required was either a cellphone to text, or a pen and paper."

Abby blinked and shrugged. "Don't look at me. My job's to take pictures. Well, did Victoria tell you anything?"

Snow nodded her head. "Two animals, both were in disguises, but Victoria knew that they were camels. She said that a gang had been harassing the store, but they generally left them alone. Guess the gang had enough of it." Snow sighed.

Pawsteps were heard as the medical examiner, a female zebra approached the detective and the wombat. "Good morning, Snow." the zebra spoke.

"Morning. Anything new?"

The zebra shook her head. "Single gunshot to the head, and that's my preliminary observation. But that seems to be the cause of death."

Snow nodded. "That goes with what Victoria was saying." The fox took a drink out of her cup and spoke. "Right… I'm going back to the ZPD to see if our gang unit has any information about this thing in Sahara Square." The vixen shrugged sadly. "This must be an initiation gone wrong."

As Snow walked down the aisle, she called behind her, "Let me know if you find anything."

Abby merely nodded in response, and the wombat went back to work. Snow stepped outside, and walked to her car. After getting in the car, she turned on the engine, and drove towards the ZPD.

/

_Zootopia – The ZPD_

The sun was halfway above the horizon when Jennifer Snow arrived at the ZPD. She would have gotten to the building earlier, but she got stuck in rush hour traffic, with nowhere to go. Instead, the spent her time wondering when her partner would arrive back into town. Once she got out of the traffic, she made a beeline to the ZPD building, and once arriving into the parking garage, her phone rang.

Picking it up, Snow saw that it was Abby, the wombat, and she answered. "What do you have, Abby?"

"I'm still at the store," Abby answered, her southern drawl appearing with the arrival of the sun. "But I just wanted to let you know that we found pawprints… a lot of them."

"Belonging to our robbers?"

"Only one way to find out." Abby responded. "I'm going back to the crime lab soon to analyze them. Then I'll look at the video and see if I can make the quality better. It'll take me a few hours, but you'll have your answer."

"Because this store was a twenty-four hour market, I'd assume not a lot of animals were there that early in the morning." Snow responded. "Victoria said that it was just those two camels. How many pawprints were camel?"

"Twelve." Abby responded.

"Alright. Make sure you find the time stamp of the video and match that with what you found."

"Already ahead of you honey."

"Good." Snow beamed to herself. "I'm about to go inside the building to talk to the GIU."

After that sentence, and saying her goodbyes, the vixen hung up her phone. She went into the elevator and went up to the fourth floor where the GIU and Major Crimes worked. Once the elevator opened in a small lobby, she took a right and walked down the hallway towards the bullpen. She found a GIU officer, ironically a camel, working at his desk.

The vixen walked to the camel and spoke, "Hello, and good morning."

The camel looked up. Standing in front of them was a beautiful arctic vixen. He smiled and spoke, "Good morning!"

Snow reached her paw out and spoke. "Name's Jennifer Snow. I'm in Chief Bogo's department."

The camel. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Snow." He shook her hand. "The name's Donnell. Timothy Donnell. What can I do for you?"

"I'm working on a case. There's been a robbery at a store in Sahara Square. The owner's dead, but the wife said that she thinks it was a gang. Can I talk to the officer in charge for Sahara Square?"

"That would be me."

Snow smiled. "That makes my job easier, Mr. Donnell. Anyways, do you have any rumblings of gang activity in Sahara Square?"

The camel nodded immediately. "My in the Square told me, yesterday, that the gang was looking to add more members. This morning must have been an initiation."

"Were they able to get the names?"

Donnell beamed. "As a matter of fact, they did." He opened a desk drawer and rummaged through it for a few seconds. After finding a folder, he pulled it out and dropped it on his desk. The camel licked his fingers, opened it and started to search. A few minutes later, he pulled out a paper and handed it to Snow. "First page's the current members. The second page's the names that my C.I thinks will be added to the gang."

"Can I borrow this?"

The camel nodded, and Snow turned around, ready to walk out of the door. As soon as he did, Donnell spoke up. "And Ms. Snow?"

The vixen looked back with one eyebrow arched up. The camel nodded. "The gang's called Desert Shield. They're a bunch of Sahara Square nationalists. Be careful."

Snow nodded her head with thanks and turned around. As she walked through the door towards the elevator, the vixen nodded to herself, as the second page had less names than the first. The vixen sighed and thought to herself, _now to wait for Abby._

Surprisingly, she didn't have to wait long. Snow was working on her desk, finishing paperwork for some of her cases, as the sun climbed up into the sky. The vixen was focused on her work that she didn't hear her phone ring from her purse. The second ring caused her to snap back to the present and scramble for her device. After answering it, Snow felt joy as Abby's voice entered the line.

"I've got names and matched them with the timestamp."

"Give it to me." Snow spoke.

"Victor Knight and Noah Williams." Abby responded.

As soon as she got the names, Snow flipped the paper to the second page and traced the list with her finger. She beamed. "Got it! Thanks Abby!"

After Abby responded with a "You're welcome," Snow hung up the phone and put it back into her pocket. She immediately transferred out of her paperwork and went to the police database. The vixen filled in the two names and got two separate results, both with priors and an address. Snow quickly jotted down the address with a post-it note and stood up from her chair. She turned around and started to head to the stairs, walking down.

Instead of walking to the elevator, the vixen made a beeline to the fat cheetah, still at his desk, his eyes drooping with tiredness. "Hey Clawhauser. I need you to send a patrol to this address. Can you do that?"

The looked up at the arctic vixen and nodded. He grabbed the post-it note out of her paw and copied down the address. "I can do that." He spoke.

Snow gave her thanks and turned around. She made her way to the elevator and after stepping in, a nagging thought entered her mind. The vixen shook her head, reminding herself that her partner was okay. But the nagging thought lingered, and Snow finally gave in. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, calling Nick.

The vulpine answered after the first ring. The first thing that Snow did was hear a whooshing noise. "Nick?" She spoke a bit louder than usual. "You there?"

"I'm here, Snow. Whatcha want?"

"Just checking in!" The whooshing noise persisted, causing the vixen to inquire, "What are you doing? Jumping out of a plane? It's loud."

She heard Nick chuckle, before he answered. "Well… that's a long story. I may or may not have broken the window to my Mustang."

Snow was surprised. Nick loved his Mustang and didn't want to hurt it. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Like I said, Snow… a long story."

"Well… okay." The elevator doors opened with a _ding_. As the vixen stepped out, she spoke, "Where are you? What're you doing?"

Nick sighed at the bombardment of questions. Finally he spoke, "I went to Bunnyburrow." He left it at that.

"Bunnyburrow? Why?"

"Snow…"

Realization struck her and the vixen nodded to herself quickly. "Sorry, Wilde…." She sighed. "Did it help?"

"Not really." The whooshing noise slowed down as the vehicle slowed to a stop. "I'm heading back home right now. I'll be in late."

"Okay." Snow responded. "But can I tell you this?"

"Shoot."

"If you went back to Bunnyburrow to find closure or clear your mind, and you're still conflicted… you're missing something. That one final piece to provide you closure and if you know what it is, then go and do it. It took me years to find closure. Carrying that sadness and pain around for that long is taxing, Wilde. So, if you want my advice… I'd say man up."

Wilde chuckled but was silent. Finally, he spoke. "You're right, Snow. As always."

With that sentence, Snow heard a small _click_ as the fox hung up. She sighed with tiredness and placed her phone back into her pocket. The arctic vixen nodded to herself and opened the door to her car. After sitting down, she turned on the engine, looked at the address one last time, and drove out of the parking garage underneath the warm Zootopian sun.

/

_Zootopia—Bunnyburrow_

_Here I am, yet again. _Nick Wilde thought to himself as he turned off the engine to his mustang. He sighed and looked at the clock on the dashboard, revealing it to be 12:10 pm. The fox looked back through his broken window onto the house, belonging to Bonnie Hopps.

Snow's voice echoed through his mind. _If you went back to Bunnyburrow to find closure or clear your mind, and you're still conflicted… you're missing something. That one final piece to provide you closure and if you know what it is, then go and do it._

Wilde chuckled nervously to himself, as he drew his aviators out of his shirt pocket. After placing it on his nose, he opened the door to his car. The bright sunlight greeted the fox, and Nick instinctively placed his head down, facing the ground to shield his eyes from its glow. After closing the door, he locked his car out of habit, momentarily forgetting that there was a missing window.

Nick started to walk, and with each step that he took, anxiety continued to grow in the pits of his stomach. He finally arrived at the brown door as a small drop of sweat rolled down the side of his face. The vulpine quickly wiped it with a sleeve and took a deep breath. After exhaling, he summoned his courage and knocked on the door with his right paw.

Several seconds passed, and the door open. Greeting Nick was a young, female bunny, dressed in a pink shirt and blue jeans. Looking down at her, the fox smiled and took off his aviators, showing his emerald eyes. "Rebekah?" He spoke. "Is that you? My goodness! You've grown."

The bunny smiled at the familiar fox. She took a step forward and immediately jumped up. Wrapping him in a huge hug, the Rebekah screamed, "Uncle Nick! You're back!"

Nick chuckled, his anxiety immediately disappearing and replaced with joy. He hugged the young bunny back and still holding her, he spoke. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah! Mommy's home."

"She is? That's good. I want to talk to her." The fox spoke, ducking his head underneath the small doorframe. But as soon as he stepped inside, he immediately straightened, as the inside was bigger than the outside.

The inside of Judy Hopps' home was busy. The small hallway led the fox to a huge room. Multiple stairs ran up and down from different floors, from the bottom to the top. Bunnies of varying age chattered, laughed and played amongst each other. As Nick arrived at the railing, Rebekah squirmed out of his arms, and jumped down to the ground. She looked through the brown posts and screamed. "Momma! Nick's here!"

At the sound of her voice, all activity stopped. From the kitchen, across the expanse and down one floor, an older female bunny appeared. She looked through her glasses upwards at the fox and beamed hugely. "Nicholas Wilde!" She spread her arms apart and yelled, "Get down here and give me a hug, you old rascal!"

Nick exhaled, not realizing that he had been holding his breath with anticipation. As he walked down the stairs, he shook hands with some older bunnies and hugged others, names racing through his mind as he smiled. "Hello Gary! Hey Valery! You still playing hockey George? How's college, Paige? Wow! Look at you, Titus! You've gone tall."

It took Nick several minutes to get through all two hundred and seventy-five kids, before he arrived at Bonnie. A tear rolled down the widow's cheek as she pulled in the fox for an embrace. After Nick let go, Bonnie placed her hands on his cheek and spoke, "I'm so happy you're here, Nick! So happy!"

"It's good to see you, Bonnie." Nick smiled back.

"You must be a hungry fox! We just finished lunch, but I can whip you up something."

Nick shook his head. "Thank you, Bonnie. But you don't have to."

"Then you can't say no to my carrot cake. I just baked it last night!"

The vulpine smiled at the offer. Bonnie's carrot cake was the stuff of legends and many bunnies tried to get the recipe from the harewife, to no avail. The fox gave in and nodded his head.

Within a couple of minutes, he was sitting down at the end of the long table that dominated the dining room. In front of him was the cake, and the fox had a fork in his right paw. Bonnie shooed all the bunnies out of the room and closed the door behind her. Finally, she walked across the room and sat down next to the fox.

"Well, Nick… What have you been up to? How are you?"

Nick swallowed nervously and looked sideways at her. "I'm fine, all things considering."

Bonnie's smile disappeared as the bunny nodded with understanding. "These last four months have been difficult… on all of us."

"More you so than me." Nick responded. "I mean… you lost Stu, then Judy within a year. How'd you handle that?"

"Not so well…" Bonnie sighed and folded her hands together. "To be honest, Nick. I was angry at you. I thought that you and Judy would be untouchable, since you two worked so well together."

"But how do you get past that? How'd you cope?"

Bonnie sighed. "Truthfully, Nick? I didn't. At least not for the first several months. I didn't do anything, and I didn't go anywhere. The death of my husband and my daughter brought me to my lowest point. But I finally got past it."

But the harewife leaned back into her chair and smiled, her eyes somewhere faraway. Finally, she broke the silence by continuing, "You know…" She shook her head. "Memories are underrated. It's the _m__emories_, Nick. It's the memories that we made together that helped me understand that things are always out of my control. So now, I need to enjoy the rest of my days, knowing that I carry the love I have for Stu and Judy with me."

Nick was silent, but then his ears perked upwards when Bonnie spoke again. "Nick… Judy loved you and she _adored_ you. Did you know that?"

The fox smiled and responded. "Yeah, but I've always thought that she saw us as friends."

Bonnie chuckled. "Maybe so, but I saw it heading to a new place…" She sighed sadly. "And I would have loved to see my daughter to get with an animal like you."

A small tear escaped Nick's eye and he hastily wiped it away. But Bonnie noticed the movement and she placed her paw on his. "But Nick…" Bonnie sighed. "Judy would be so proud of you, knowing that you're still in the ZPD, continuing her good work."

At that sentence, guilt overcame the fox, and he immediately blurted, without thinking. "I'm not with the ZPD anymore."

Bonnie's small smile disappeared as her eyebrows went up with surprise. "You're not? What happened?"

"I quit."

There was a silence, then a slapping noise broke the stillness of the room. Bonnie hit Nick's arm repeatedly several times, while speaking "You stupid, fox! You worked so hard to get into the academy." She stopped and shook her head. Finally, she continued her assault. "Then you worked hard to get onto the force, only to quit?"

Pain flashed through his right arm, as Nick responded, "I'm sorry, Bonnie!"

"Nick… Judy would be so angry at you right now. You don't know how much she risked supporting you!"

The fox whirled at the bunny with anger. "I don't know?" He shook his head. "What do you mean, _I don't know_? I was there, every day, Bonnie! I was there in the ZPD where every officer looked at us with scorn. I saw the quick glances and heard the whispered comment that passed between animals as we patrolled. I was there, Bonnie!"

His anger immediately melted as he saw the expression on the bunny. Guilt overcame him again and he muttered, "I'm sorry."

In response, the bunny quickly grabbed the plate of the half-eaten carrot cake. Nick gave a small cry of protest as Bonnie glared at the vulpine. "You're not getting this back unless you owe me an explanation! _Then_ you promise me you go back to the ZPD and get your job back!"

Nick sighed and put down his fork and nodded his head. Keeping his eyes on the table, he folded his arms as he tried to decide on how to start his story. Finally, he looked up, but before he opened his mouth, he realized that the entire home was silent. The vulpine looked down towards the stairs, and saw all of Bonnie's children looking expectantly back at him.

At the sight of the vulpine, the bunnies immediately turned around and started talking loudly. Through his pain, Nick chuckled at the sight of the animals trying not to eavesdrop. He turned his attention back to the Matriarch of the Hopps family and rubbed his hands together uncomfortably. Finally, he nodded again, his voice cracking. "It's a long story, but…" He sighed. "I made some bad decisions when I was trying to find your daughter's murderers. One thing led to another and I became obsessed with this case." Tears rolled down his eyes. "You should have seen me, Bonnie. I was a mess..." He shook his head. "Then I found out something about Chief Bogo, and I confronted him. Words were exchanged, then I quit." Nick looked away from the gentle bunny with shame.

Bonnie's face became softer and she spoke after a few seconds. "Doesn't seem like you're a mess now."

Nick chuckled in response. "Yeah. I got a new partner. An annoying vixen named Jennifer Snow. She's straightened me out… or at least, trying to."

"Seems like it's working." Bonnie slid the plate back to the fox. "Is this, Jennifer Snow a good fox?"

Nick smiled, his mind taking him to the image of the snow furred, and turquoise eyed vixen. He nodded his head. "She… She is."

Bonnie read his expression and she smiled to herself. "Does she know about this?"

Nick shook his head. "Only bits and pieces."

"Then that's what you need to do, Nick. You need to talk to her."

The vulpine nodded his head. "I know that's what I need to do… but I… I don't know. I feel…"

"Guilty?"

"How'd you know?"

"Because I've been in your place, you dumb fox. If it seems like we move on and let go, it feels like we're ignoring them for the rest of our life." She shook her head. "That's not true, Nick. We carry their memories in our hearts and by finding someone else to share those memories with… it's a blessing. I've got my two hundred and seventy-five kids to share those burdens with, and you need to find someone."

"But…"  
"No buts, Nick." Bonnie smiled. "If you came here thinking that you need my blessing to let go of Judy… you don't need it. Judy would want you to move on, and you know it. Cherish the time and the memories you had with her."

Nick sighed with relief, feeling like a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He opened his arms and pulled the older bunny in for a hug. "Thank you, Bonnie… Thank you."

Bonnie smiled back at the living memory of her daughter, and friend. "And you know, Mister Wilde… My door is always open for you. We all love you. _I _love you."

Nick smiled. "I love you too, Mrs. Hopps."

/

_Zootopia – Jennifer Snow's Apartment_

The noise of Zootopia lessened with the approaching night as Jennifer Snow laid on her back on the couch, fast asleep, her legs hanging off the armrest, a bandage on the side of her face. She had arrived to the apartment and replaced the bandage for a fresh new one. As the vixen stood in the bathroom mirror, she tenderly touched the small cut on her cheek, shaking her head on how close to the knife she had been.

When she left the ZPD, the vixen made a beeline to the address for Victor Knight, knowing that another team attended Noah Williams. Arriving at the small house in Sahara Square, Snow knocked at the door, and placed her hand on her hip, readying herself.

A voice called out, speaking "Who's there?"

"This is ZPD!" Snow answered. "We're looking for Victor Knight!"

A crashing noise was heard from the inside of the house. Snow immediately stepped backwards and with a huge heave, kicked the door down. As the door opened, the vixen saw an overturned table, needles littering the floor with white powder. The fox looked back up and saw a camel flee outside of the sliding glass door.

Snow cursed to herself and gave chase, holstering her pistol. She went through the house and turned right and saw Knight climb over the fence leading to his neighbor's back yard. Digging into the sand, the vixen threw herself at the fleeing gang member, grabbed the camel and yanked him down to the ground.

The camel was bigger than her, and as soon as he fell on the ground, Knight heaved the vixen off of him. As the vixen crashed into the ground, the camel pulled out a pocketknife and flipped it open. He held it in one hand and brought it down towards Snow's head.

She quickly moved, but not fast enough as a small cry of pain escaped her lips, as the blade grazed her cheek. Victor brought the blade back up and tried again, only to be stopped by Snow's arms. The camel grunted with exertion as he leaned his body weight into driving the knife down towards the officer.

Snow could feel her strength weakening against the camel and with her mind racing, she came up with an idea. As the camel went up to attempt another drive with his body in order to push the knife down, he gave a small window for Snow to act. So, Snow waited until she felt the pressure release as the camel started to straighten his back. Seizing the chance, the vixen grabbed a handful of hot sand with her left paw and flung it at her assailant's eyes. Knowing that camels had two eyelashes to protect their faces from dirt and sand, Snow took advantage of the distraction.

Some sand still landed in his eyes, and Victor screamed with pain, raising his hands to wipe his eyes. As soon as he did, Snow gave a powerful push and the camel fell onto his side. Immediately, he felt his body convulse as Snow plunged the Taser onto his body. As the camel laid twitching, his muscles contracting quickly, Snow slowly stood up, breathing heavily. Finally, she rolled the camel over and handcuffed him, charging him with the murder of the shop owner, and the attempt assault of a police officer.

An hour later, Snow found herself in the ZPD, leading the camel through the lobby for processing. As she walked Clawhauser's desk, she heard pawsteps approach behind her. The vixen turned around and saw Victoria. At the sight of the camel being arrested, Victoira smiled sadly, raising her Kleenex to wipe her eyes. "Thank you." She signed.

Snow nodded in response. With her right paw, she responded, "You're welcome."

With that, the vixen turned around and marched the camel to the holding room, pleased to see that Noah Williams was already there.

The day went by quickly and Snow arrived back at the apartment to replace the bandage. After she did, she laid on the couch and promptly fell asleep.

The vixen was asleep for an hour, before a doorbell rang, awakening her from her slumber. Snow rubbed her eyes with tiredness and sat up, looking at the clock. It read 9:30 pm. Snow stretched and yawned, before standing up and walking to the door. Not bothering to look through the peephole, she opened it.

Standing before her was Nick Wilde, his eyes red and puffy, evident that he'd been crying. At the sight of him, Snow immediately stood aside and spoke, "Come in."

Nick nodded and walked past her. He made a beeline to the couch and sat down. Snow closed the door behind her and started to follow him. Instead, she went to the coffee maker and poured the rest of the cold coffee into two mugs and brought them to the coffee table. She then went back and grabbed a spoon, a jar of sugar and half-and-half creamer. The vixen then turned around and walked back to the fox. After placing them on the table, Snow sat down next to her partner. Silence passed between them as the two foxes made their coffees.

Nick took a drink of his finished product and nodded at Snow, noticing the bandage. "You okay?"

Snow smiled. "Just another day at work."

Nick chuckled and took another drink. After he was done, he sighed and sat back on the couch. Curiosity overcame the vixen and Snow spoke, "Are you okay? Is there anything I can do?"

Nick licked his lips and sighed again. Finally, he leaned forward and spoke, "I need you to listen, because I'm ready to talk."

**A/N: Well, there you have it folks! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I just wanted to give you a life update. School is starting up again for me this week, and if you are unaware, I am in the Masters program for my field of study, so there'll be a lot more work than your typical undergrad work. But in my free time, I'll be working on the story (if I'm not focused on my wedding plans or homework). So I ask if you can be patient with me. The new chapter may not come for a long time, but it will come! I will not abandon this story, nor the Hunt for the Bloodhounds. Thank you all for being with me and joining me on this journey! As usual, a review of this chapter will always be appreciated!**


	12. Chapter 11: Back on Track

Chapter Eleven: Back on Track

_Zootopia_

Under the moonless sky, a small, green pickup truck drove down the road through the heart of the city. The passenger window was rolled down, revealing a small glow in the vehicle. The truck's one working headlight cleared the darkness a bit, but it still did not help the driver see the pothole. As the truck passed over it, the driver's face grimaced as he heard the small _thud _and felt the vehicle's suspensions bounce in succession. He looked sideways at the passenger, a leopard, dressed in dark green shirt and pants, looking nonchalantly outside of the window, deep in thought. The cigarette was already between his fingers, and he brought it up to his mouth, inhaled, and blew, revealing a small smoke the smoke wafted out of the truck. The leopard closed his eyes, feeling the cool wind brushing against his fur as he felt the nicotine calm his nerves. After a couple of seconds of anxious-free bliss, the leopard opened his eyes, revealing a green glow in the dark night. He sighed and threw his still-lit cigarette out of the window. The cigarette had not touched the ground before the leopard felt pain in his left arm, a gift from the driver's hard elbow.

The leopard rubbed his arm as he looked sideways, incredulously. The driver, a tiger and dressed in the same outfit as his partner, looked back at him and copied the same pained expression, mocking him. He looked back on the road, and spoke, his deep voice rumbling with annoyance.

"Why did you do that?" the tiger looked back at his partner. When the leopard didn't answer, the driver continued, "You wanna start a fire? Idiot…" The animal rolled his eyes, as he waited for his partner's response. As he did, the emerald pickup truck slowed down at a stop sign, its one headlight illuminating the dark buildings before them. The tiger looked past the leopard to his right, before turning left and going back on the road. In the middle of the turn, the leopard grunted, and shifted his body to the right, until his feet were hanging out of the window. He leaned back and placed his right arm behind his head. Not looking at the tiger, the passenger pulled out a lighter and clicked it open. The glow of the small flame illuminated the dark truck, as the flame danced around.

He heard the tiger take a deep breath of annoyance as the animal heard the familiar _click _of the lighter. At the response, the leopard chuckled. "Relax… a small cigarette ain't going to start any fires."

The tiger rolled his eyes once more. He was tired of being put on assignments with the leopard. The animal was too carefree and seemingly incapable of responsibility. "Famous last words." He muttered.

The leopard shook his head, and looked back down the well-lit road, as the streetlights lined the sidewalks, revealing the way. He wished that his partner would lighten up. Life's too short anyways, and animals need to enjoy every step of the way. For the leopard, the enjoyment is found in money. After a few seconds of driving passed, the nervousness that was quashed by the cigarette reappeared in the pits of his stomach. He finally pulled out his feet from the window and rubbed his paws on his legs. The leopard looked sideways and spoke, "Boss' getting impatient."

His partner nodded. "I would be too, if I had to liquidate this damn diamond. Apparently, every contact that he has lined up to buy it, backed off.

"Why not?"

"I'd guess that they don't want the heat." He shrugged. "It's either that or they don't want to get in trouble with the law, considering how high profile this stupid piece of jewelry is." The animal snorted. "I don't blame them."

The leopard nodded. He fished into his pocket and felt a small rag. The animal pulled it out slowly unfolded it, placing it on his left leg. He then spun his lighter around, and clicked it open once again. The flame shot up and the animal held it close to the item that would pocket them a lot of money. It was no bigger than the center of his palm, but according to his boss, it was the purest diamond that has been found. It glowed underneath the light of the flame.

The tiger looked sideways at the leopard and saw what his partner was doing. As soon as he did, the truck hit a pothole, jolting both animals. The tiger cursed and resumed his focus on the road, and the leopard looked at him, anger building up. "Watch where you're driving!"

"You shouldn't have taken it out!" The tiger shot back. "Boss'll kill us if we lose it!"

The leopard took a deep breath, attempting to calm his nerves. After exhaling, he decided to resume their conversation by clicking the lighter close and closing the rag. As soon as he placed the diamond back into his pocket, he spoke, "It's the same one from the Tarturos? Where we kidnapped their son?"

The driver nodded wordlessly, causing the leopard to grunt. Finally, after a few seconds of silence, the passenger spoke again, "Do you blame them?"

The tiger snorted. "Not at all. Honestly, the sooner we get rid of this thing, the sooner boss'll be off our backs."

The leopard nodded his head, "Well, here's hoping that this last fox will be our shot."

"He'd better be, or it won't be the fox that boss'll take his anger out on… it'll be us."

The passenger gulped nervously. "But all for the Silver Clan, right? For the betterment of Zootopia?"

The tiger looked sideways at his partner and repeated, "For the Silver Clan and for the betterment of Zootopia."

With that sentence, the two drove in silence for a few minutes. The tall buildings of Zootopia slowly disappeared as the pickup truck traveled out of the city and into the suburbia. As they weaved through the suburbs, the climate slowly changed to the heat of the Saharan Square. When they reached the high temperatures of the biodome, the leopard shook his head with distaste as he rolled up the window. "It's too hot here," he snarled. "Why would anyone want to live here?"

The tiger shrugged. "Guess it's his natural habitat."

"Screw that. Why couldn't he live in the city, like any other normal animal?"

The driver shrugged and didn't respond. Instead he kept his focus on the road. They traveled through the desert, and upon finding a street sign, they turned right and continued their travel. They drove for several more minutes until they finally found a building in the distance, it's giant neon lights revealing it to be a bar.

The tiger navigated their way into the parking lot and following instructions by their contact, drove towards the building. Once he reached the front entrance, the tiger stopped the truck, put it in reverse and twisted the wheel. The truck backed up and turned around, before pulling into a small alleyway between the bar and a bowling alley. Once they were hidden underneath the cover of the dark, the tiger turned off the truck and shut down the headlights.

Silence reigned the alleyway, except for the occasional breeze hitting the truck. Finally, the leopard's ears perked up, as the animal picked up the sound of a vehicle engine approaching them from the behind. He looked at the driver and nodded his head, jutting his thumb towards the back. The tiger unclicked his seatbelt and opened the door to the truck, and stepped out, while the leopard opened the glove box, and pulled out a Glock. After making sure that he had a round in the chamber, the animal followed his partner.

As soon as they both shut the doors, they were blinded by the headlights of the vehicle. Finally, after a few seconds, the headlights were turned off, and both animals adjusted to the quick change from light to dark, as they waited for their contact to appear. The tiger looked at the red van and muttered underneath his breath, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

The leopard chuckled. "What's the worst that could happen? He'll say no."

As soon as the leopard spoke, the vehicle door open and closed. As soon as it did, the animal approached them, wearing a black jacket, one paw shoved into his pocket. Another paw was curled around the handle of a wooden baseball bat. The leopard squinted, adjusting his eyes to see the figure. It was short, a lot shorter than he expected. Finally, a familiar sound of a match being struck was heard, as the figure brought the cigarette to his face. He exhaled, its glow revealing his face, contorted into a sneer. After a couple of seconds of silence passed, the fox stepped forward, and with the next glow, it was revealed that he was a fennec fox.

"What can I do for you boys?" he asked.

/

_Zootopia – Jennifer Snow's Apartment_

"I need you to listen, because I'm ready to talk."

Jennifer Snow sat frozen in place, her steaming mug of coffee still in hand as she looked at her partner, Nicholas Wilde, with shock. She had to restrain herself with all of her might from jumping up and down, screaming with joy as she heard the words that she wanted to hear for so long. Fortunately, she didn't because Snow knew that it wouldn't end well, especially when she had a steaming hot cup of coffee in hand. The last thing she wanted to do was to jump and accidentally fling the scalding liquid at the vulnerable vulpine and scar him forever.

Instead, the vixen brought the cup up to her lips and slowly took a sip. She waited for the fox to continue with what he started.

Disappointment overcame her when Nick shook his head and spoke, his eyes still transfixed on her wound, "I think you need to get a new bandage, Snow." Nick spoke, "That one's pretty bloody."

Snow reached up with her right paw and touched her cheek. As soon as she looked at her white fingers, she swore under her breath. "That's what I thought…" Snow muttered to herself. "I'm gunna need stitches after all."

Nick cleared his throat. "Do I need to take you to the hospital?" He asked with concern. "I mean, you can get a wicked scar on your cheek, and I'm going to need to get a check up on this hand.

Snow looked down at her partner's hand and she wanted to gasp but couldn't. Instead she sighed like a disappointed mother who knew that her son was up to no good. Knowing Nick's antics, she wasn't surprised that he did something stupid. She stepped forward, grabbed his paw and started to unwind the bandage that was wrapped around it. As soon as the last strip disappeared, the hand revealed several deep cuts, but no apparent signs of infection. Snow nodded her head, "That'll heal nicely. What did you use?"

"Whiskey, and disinfectant." Nick responded.

Snow winced. "That's gotta hurt."

"No more than punching my car."

Snow's turquoise eyes shot up to meet Nick's emerald eyes. "_You punched your car?"_

The words of shock brought laughter from Nick's lips, which in turn caused Snow to chuckle softly. His eyes glowed with humor as it broke the tension that was building up between them. At the sound of his laughter, Snow's anxiety slowly melted away, and she started to smile hugely. She opened her mouth to inquire further, but Nick beat her.

"Well, really… the driver side window." The vixen shook her head at the response, and the fox continued, "I can get it fixed, no problem." He nodded at Snow's wound. "But that looks nasty."

Snow stood up from the couch and took off the bandage. She walked through the hallway into the bedroom and once she entered the bathroom, she grabbed the first aid kit. Opening it, she picked up a small rag and after cleaning her cut with the proper materials, she grabbed the needle and the thread. After sterilizing the needle and thread, Snow stared into the mirror of the bathroom and started to talk, making sure that Nick could hear her.

"Well, I was chasing this gang member into Saharah Square." She stopped as she winced with pain, the needle traveling through the cut. The vixen had a high pain tolerance, but that didn't stop her from feeling the discomfort as her cut was being sewed up. "The guy tried to knife me in the face but missed. All in all, I got him."

"Good for you." Nick called back from the living room. Snow didn't respond as she focused on her weaving skills, her training kicking in. Finally, after a few minutes of focus, Snow closed the cut, snipped the thread and made sure that her face was clean. She shook her head, washed her paws, and after drying them, moved away from the bathroom and into the living room. Nick whistled at the sight of her handiwork and spoke, admiration creeping into his voice. "How'd you do that?"

"This? Oh, it's nothing. I was taught by…" Snow stopped herself as the memory of _him_ appeared in her mind. Ignoring the last sentence, the vixen spoke, a small smile on her face. "But you're right. I think it's going to leave a cool scar."

Nick chuckled and took a drink from his coffee. Several minutes of silence passed, and the vixen spoke, "What do you want to talk about?"

Conflict was evident on Nick's face, as the vulpine struggled to find the right words. Finally, he gave in and spoke, "Judy."

Snow leaned back into her chair, and nodded her head, waiting for her partner to continue. She looked up at the fox as he stood up out of his chair and started to pace back and forth, one paw shoved into his pocket and his other paw on the back of his neck. After several seconds of pacing, Nick finally stopped and looked through the slider into the dark night of Zootopia. "Do you remember the Nighthowler Incident?" Nick asked.

Snow nodded. "Of course, I do. Everyone does. Zootopia was in complete panic. I had my paws full, until you and Judy stopped it."

Nick nodded his head. "Yes, that's true, but that was when we first met. I was a con-fox, hustling animals out of their money and searching for a quick way to make a buck. Finnick and I, my partner, we had a good thing going. Then…" he sighed and shook his head. "Judy walked into my life… wait… that's a lie." The fox turned around and looked outside the window. "Judy was a meter-maid and she would have denied this, but she stalked me, but that's a different story for another time." He looked back at Snow and spoke, "Judy caught the case and decided blackmail me into helping her." Nick chuckled at the memory. "She booted my stroller."

"Stroller? Like a baby stroller?" Snow asked.

"Yeah…" Nick smiled and looked back at the vixen. "You see, this was how Finnick and I did…." He stopped himself and raised his paws. "No. That's not important. Again, another story for a different time."

Snow smiled. "I'd like to hear that."

Nick nodded. "It's a good one, but anyways…" The vulpine regained his composure and spoke again, "Anyways, after going through the case with the worst pain in my neck ever, we solved it, and… she helped me find the _real _me." The vulpine looked back at the vixen and shook his head. "Does that make sense?" He asked. "Like… I was always a fox, but she somehow got past all that and reached the _real_ fox and pulled him out."

Snow nodded wordlessly, causing Nick to continue, "And that's why I became a cop. Judy was the one who looked past the shifty fox and brought out the fox who wanted to help animals." He sighed and shoved his paws into his pockets and shook his head. "I went through the academy and after I graduated, I became Judy's partners. Together, we did well. We brought down a lot of animals, but all of that ended when…" He stopped as his eyes started to water.

"She was killed." Snow spoke softly, slowly shaking her head.

Nick nodded his head as he turned around and was surprised to find her voice had the same tone as when they were in the house with Fey. _Not sympathy, but empathy._ Nick thought to himself.

Snow didn't offer any words, causing Nick to fill in the silence. "We were at a restaurant as friends, when these thugs broke in. They took a zebra hostage, just a kid." Nick shook his head with sadness. "There wasn't any time to call for backup, we had to act. I knew it and so did Judy." As soon as he spoke that sentence, his voice started to get shakier. The fox walked closer to the slider, revealing his reflection of a broken vulpine. "I went out the back door and through the alleyway. Then I got hit by a dart, and that's when I passed out for a few minutes."

Nick shook his head, as he closed his eyes. Tears rolled down his face and he balled his right paw into a fist. He was ready to start swinging, but instead, he took a deep breath and continued, "I came to and they'd gone. I pushed my way through the crowd, and it was there that she died in my arms." The vulpine shook his head with sorrow.

"Nick…" Snow started to say, but the vulpine cut her off. "When she died, it was then I vowed… I vowed to myself that I would kill every single animal that sought to do her harm from that night." He shook his head, as emotions crashed inside his soul. Anger, regret, sadness. Even though he promised Judy that he would let go, he couldn't help but feel everything returning to him.

The vulpine took a deep breath as he looked outside at the dark sky. The town of Zootopia was quiet, as traffic disappeared. "I got three of them."

As soon as Nick spoke that sentence, Snow's analytical mind already went into overdrive. _Three of them? _Snow thought to herself. _There was the deer from the car chase, Fey and…. _Realization struck her, and she widened her eyes. _Duke Matthews?_

Nick's voice pulled the vixen out of her thoughts and resumed her attention back to the partner. "But… I thought I could move on, and I realized that I couldn't. I've held in so much anger at myself… at Judy… and at everyone else." He shook his head. "When I had Fey in my paws, she told me that Bogo was behind Judy's death… our own Chief had something to do with the Silver Clan. That's why I quit. He wouldn't tell me why."

Forgetting that her coffee was still on the table and turning cold, Snow kept her attention on the fox, respectfully keeping her mouth closed, waiting for him to continue. But she could not help but glance over at the picture that she kept on the small table. The familiar face looked back at her, and the vixen sighed deeply. A gunshot noise echoed through her mind, and she clasped her paws together as the memory threatened to pull itself out of the dark pits of her mind and reveal itself into the light.

The fox knew that he reached the next part of the story, and anxiety started to overwhelm him. Several seconds of silence passed as the vulpine wrestled on whether to tell the vixen. He was afraid that she would look at him differently, and because of the next statement, Nick knew that the dynamics of their partnership might change forever. He gulped nervously and upon reaching a decision, Nick took a deep breath and continued, "I was going to kill myself." He braced himself for an exclamation of surprise. But silence followed.

Snow didn't say a word as she slowly digested the new information. Choosing that staying silent was the best course of action, the vixen, again, shot a look across the room at the photograph that was on the table.

_ Be there for him…_ his voice echoed in her mind.

When he realized that Snow wasn't going to jump in, the vulpine continued, a wave of emotions erupting with each word, as he balled up his fist, guilt rising and weighing heavily on his heart. "I should have been there for her…" Nick's voice cracked. "I should have been in that room." The fox slowly turned away from the slider and started to walk back to his chair. As soon as he sat down, he kept his eyes on the ground, ashamed to look at the vixen who had done so much for him. She's always been there for him, as a partner… a friend… and maybe, something more.

_Be there for him… don't let him go back into the darkness._ A familiar voice entered Snow's mind. As soon as it did, she was greeted with a smiling, black fox in her mind's eye.

Tears rolling freely down his face, Nick sniffed and wiped it hurriedly. Finally, he spoke, "So, when I walk through Zootopia, every day, I carry this guilt around with me. This… this shame." He looked at the vixen, and Snow did not speak. Suddenly, anger started to boil inside of him. Why wasn't his partner saying any comforting words? Here he was, pouring his heart out, to his friend, his partner and she wasn't supporting him. Finally, not thinking, the vulpine shook his head, and spoke, a small sliver of ice entering his voice. "You wouldn't understand it, Jennifer."

Again, Snow decided not to respond, causing Nick to continue, his anger, guilt, sadness, and regret building up on top of each other. Each emotion was a boulder sitting on his heart, and soul. "And that's why I feel like I need to put everyone down from that night, who was involved in Judy's death." He balled up his fist and slammed it against the armchair, pain flashing through his hand. But Nick didn't notice it. "It's the only way that will get rid of my guilt." He sighed, his voice trembling and his body shaking.

"The justice system has done nothing, Snow! You've said repeatedly," Nick used his fingers as air quotations "'by the book.'" He scoffed. "I followed what you said and did everything by the book! I thought I would feel better after putting away that child molester and Fey… but… They should be dead."

"Nick…"

"All of them, Snow. Every single one."

Snow couldn't take it anymore. She stood up and as soon as she did, the vulpine did the same, not knowing what his partner was about to do. She strode to the fox and started to jab her finger in his chest. Experience told him that she resorted to what some animals considered was "tough love." So, he embraced himself for a verbal and physical lashing.

His anger melted away and was replaced with surprise, as the vulpine felt the smooth arms of the vixen wrap around his body, as she pulled him into a hug. Nick's arms dangled helplessly at his sides, as he was unsure of what to do. Snow was a tad bit shorter than he was, so she rested her head on his shoulder, her breathing steady and rhythmic. Finally, Nick wrapped his own arms around his partner's shoulders stared at the darkness outside. His muscles relaxed as tension escaped, and Nick took a deep breath. As he exhaled, his voice trembled, as his body shook slightly. This only caused Snow to grip him tighter.

The two foxes embraced each other for what seemed to be several minutes, before the vixen finally let go. She stood back and gave a small smile. _Nick's looking a lot better, already._ It was true. His emerald eyes finally had some light returning to them, after going dark with emotion. The vulpine quickly looked away, not meeting her eyes and cleared his throat. He opened his mouth to say something, but Snow beat him.

"I hear you Nick and I'm sorry that you had to go through this. It's not an experience I would wish on anybody, especially my worst enemy." She shook her head as the memory nagged her again. "But, Nick. I say, 'by the book' because you're a good cop and I care about you. Doing what you did to Fey and Sanchez, I let you get away with because you're an important asset to the force and we'd hate to lose you." She sighed heavily, "But you have to understand, that every time I let you get away with something, I'm at risk also!"

Nick gave a small smile. "Then I guess that it's good that I'm not a cop anymore."

Snow shook her head, desperately trying to reach him. "No, Nick… It's bad. Because when you're not on the streets, the animals won't have a 'Nick' around to protect them. You're that Nick."

The vulpine rolled his eyes. "And Nick," Snow continued. "Think of Andy and Brian. Think about every single animal that you took down. Because of _you_, Zootopia became a lot safer, and Judy would have been proud of you."

At the sound of Judy's name, Snow realized that she made a mistake. Nick's body tensed up again, and his eyes had the faraway look. The vixen shook her head and waited for the fox to say something. But Nick was silent. Snow threw her paws up with exasperation, as the fox continued to look outside of the window, escaping the world and entering his memories. She thought she was getting somewhere at the beginning of the conversation, but she made the mistake, and she knew she needed to correct it. The vixen placed her paws on her hips, her mind racing, trying to figure out how to get him to open again, and be the fox that she knew he could be.

The vixen looked away from Nick and onto the photograph on the table. Her soul screamed at her not to do it… she wasn't ready! The fox shook her head and looked at the vulpine and saw that he had walked towards the slider, his paws shoving into his pockets, his tail rigid and unmoving. _Tell him…. You're ready._

The male voice gave the vixen the confidence that she needed. Snow immediately nodded her head to herself and made a beeline to the table. She grabbed the framed photograph, turned around walked back to the vulpine. Nick turned around at the sound of her pawsteps and upon arriving to the vulpine, Snow jabbed the picture into his paws.

Nick had seen it many times when he was in the apartment but hadn't really looked at it. Through the small cracks of the glass, the vulpine saw that it was a photograph of two foxes in wedding attire hugging each other. It was very apparent that the white fox was Jennifer Snow, but he had never seen the black furred fox before. "Who's he?"

"My late husband." Snow spoke, folding her arms. "This is the only thing of ours that I still have."

Nick looked up, confusion evident on his face. He knew that she was married and died. But the fact that she didn't have his possessions threw him off guard. "What do you mean?"

Snow sighed and sat down on the couch. She folded her paws together and looked up at the vulpine. Her mind raced as she attempted to figure out what to say. Suddenly, words disappeared as her mind went blank. She took a deep sigh and rubbed her face with her paws, and spoke, deciding that being blunt was the best option.

"Listen to me, Nick. I've been in your shoes and I can attest to what you're saying." She stopped as she looked pointedly at him. The vulpine looked at the picture and back at his partner, the lone thought appearing in his mind, _not sympathy… empathy._

The slight change in Nick's posture told Snow that the fox believed her, and the vixen continued, "After he died, I carried so much guilt that I tried to get rid of every trace of him. All of his clothes, his hobbies, his stupid train collection… all gone." She shook her head and continued to talk, "I even changed my name back to my maiden name, Snow… and I tried to forget that he existed."

Nick looked back at the picture. _They seemed so happy_. He glanced back at his partner, concern appearing in his eyes. "What happened to him?"

Snow took a deep breath and spoke, "Long story short, we were assigned undercover to a sting operation, and it went wrong. We were betrayed by an animal that we thought was a friend, and he shot Charlie, and killed him." she shook her head. "But the worst part of this all was that I gave the 'all-clear' order." She spread her paws before clapping it to emphasize her point. "So, in a way… the death of my husband was my fault."

Nick's mind raced. _So that's why she's a stickler for rules…_He almost blurted his thought but caught himself at the last minute. Instead, he inquired, "Did you catch him?"

The gunshot noise echoed in her mind, as Snow looked at Nick and spoke, "I did."

"What happened?"

The arctic vixen's blue eyes glowed with anger as she met Nick's emerald eyes. Her jaw set and she spoke with a monotonous tone. "I put a bullet through his skull."

Nick was taken aback at the response. "You?"

Snow nodded her head. "The so-called friend escaped and devoted all of my time and power into hunting him down. I tracked him down and killed him. Made it look like self-defense, and no one questioned my story. But it did put me on probation, and I had to work hard to gain the reputation I have today."

Nick opened his mouth to respond, but Snow held up a finger. "That's not all. I thought that it would help me get over his death. I thought that by killing him, I would feel better because I got justice for Charlie." She shook her head, and continued, "But the truth is, Nick… killing animals, no matter how bad they are, would never help. By killing other animals out of revenge, justice, vengeance, whatever…. You're only going to end up killing a part of yourself. I'm not the same Jennifer Snow that I was then. But…" she sighed, "I was able to let go and forgive myself."

Silence reigned between the conversationalists as Nick processed Snow's story, and the vixen suddenly snorted, causing the fox to look back at her. She decided to take a different tact by appealing to the vulpine's character. "You know how in movies, the main characters are always warning each other to not kill people for revenge, but to bring them in so the justice system could do the work, and that they would feel better?"

Nick nodded his head, causing Snow to continue, "All of that is crap. No matter what we do, revenge or justice, we _never_ feel better. But…" she sighed and nodded her head. "At least we still hold onto that integrity of the animal that we were, that we _still _can be." She looked at Nick and spoke, "That's why I can't be the one to remind you of who you are. Only you can remind yourself of the _real you._" She picked up her coffee, now cold and continued, "But, that saying, 'Time heals all wounds' is true. Time _does_ heal all wounds; you just need to let it."

"Jennifer… I'm sorry." Nick spoke. "I didn't know."

Snow shrugged. "And now you know why I could never advance in the ranks." She cracked a smile. "Something about a psychological break down. I mean, you saw my folder." She winked in a joking manner.

"But, Snow… really, I…" The fox moved away from the slider and walked to the couch. He sat down next to her, after Snow moved sideways to make room for him. The fox placed the photograph on the table. He opened his mouth to talk but found that no more words could escape his lips. Instead he was left with his thoughts.

_She understood…. I thought that no one ever would, but she…. She did… _Nick smiled stupidly to himself. _I broke again, but she's…. she's relentless. _As he stared at her, a new emotion appeared in his heart. The emotion overcame his anger, sadness and regrets. _You need to talk to her… _Judy spoke in his mind. He did, but he didn't expect to fall for her even more.

Snow looked at the picture and took a sip of the coffee, not noticing the cold liquid passing her lips. _I'm so sorry, Charlie_. She paused in her mind, and continued, _thank you for giving me the push I needed. _She looked away from the picture and looked at the vulpine. His emerald eyes glow with something that she had seen before, but couldn't place it. The vixen leaned backwards slightly and glanced at her partner. Her body tensed up as she realized that he was giving her the _look._ She had seen that look many times with Charlie. But as both foxes looked at each other with silence, both progressing the other's stories, Snow couldn't help but see how handsome he was. His fur and eyes complimented each other and was a true representation of his personality. She loved how his eyes was a testament to the saying that was "the eyes are the windows to the soul." Snow appreciated how Nick could tell her what he was thinking and feeling with just a glance.

Shaking her head and snapping out of her stupor, Snow spoke, deciding to answer Nick's broken sentences, continuing their conversation. "I know, Nick. I appreciate it. But, the reason why I'm telling you all this is because I tried it my way and it didn't work. It will _never_ work. Sure, it may bring you a momentarily pleasure, but… that's all it is. It's for a _moment._ The way you move on is to hold onto the memory that you have for them… or in your case, for Judy, and… be the fox that she knows you could be."

Nick smiled to himself as Bonnie's voice echoed through his mind, _Memories, Nick. It's the memories that we made together that helped me understand that things are always out of my control. So now, I need to enjoy the rest of my days, knowing that I carry the love I have for Stu and Judy with me._

"Did you love her?" Snow asked suddenly.

Nick was taken aback by the question. "I… I did. I still do."

"Then hold onto that. That should be as cherished as the memories that you hold of her." Snow shook her head. "And don't forget, you still have animals on your side. Including me."

As soon as she said that, Snow placed her paw on Nick's leg. The vulpine jumped slightly as her hand made contact. His heart started to race as he looked sideways at the vixen. Suddenly, he saw her in a completely new light. Both were animals that came from a tough past and lost their loved ones. Both were hardworking animals, dedicated to serving their community. Her blue eyes glowed and Nick noticed that it complimented well with her white fur, and the lighting of the living room, caused the vixen to shine with beauty.

His feelings for Snow clashed with those for Judy. But after talking with Bonnie Hopps and now, Jennifer Snow, the vulpine could feel each weight of his anger, guilt and burden slowly dissolving. _She understands… she understands!_ That thought repeated in his mind, contributing to his courage, and newfound sense of freedom. He loved the fact that she shared her story, and they both could bond over their tough pasts and circumstances. But now, at this moment, Nick knew what he wanted to do, and could care less at the consequences that followed.

He leaned forward suddenly, and kissed Snow on the lips. Snow as caught by surprise with how soft his lips were and was tempted to give into the kiss. Her want to follow rules and regulations flared up, and the vixen pulled away. With her left paw, smacked Nick's injured paw. Nick stood up with a yelp, and held it gingerly, while looking at the vixen. As soon as he made eye contact, he turned around, looking away with shame and spoke, "I'm sorry."

Nick's kiss, still tingling on her lips, caused Snow to shake her head. She wanted to admit that she enjoyed the kiss, but every fiber of her being screamed at her to not tell him her secret. Finally, the vixen spoke up, deciding to take responsibility. "No… it was me. I shouldn't have touched you. I'm sorry if you read into it wrong."

"But I shouldn't have kissed you," the vulpine argued. "We're partners, for god's sakes! Partners don't go around kissing each other."

"Unless you're married." Snow chuckled, thinking of Charlie. That response got a weird look from Nick. Realizing what she said, she started to backpedal. "Oh god, that's not what I meant, Nick… I was just thinking of Charlie… I mean…"

"Oh, so you were thinking of your dead husband when you kissed me?" Nick shot back. "I feel special."

"Oh, hold on!" Snow spoke with indignancy in her voice. "_I _kissed you. It was _you_ who kissed me, mister!"

"Yes, but you made the first move." Nick gave a half smile, his emerald eyes glowing with humor.

Snow groaned. "Nick… just… "She shook her head, secretly happy that the tension was broken. The vixen could feel normalcy and humor flooding back into the room. Snow looked at Nick, the handsome vulpine had his paws into his pockets, and was looking at her through his usual half-closed eyes. The vixen groaned again, and spoke, "Stop it, Nick. This is awkward."

"Now it's awkward?" Nick asked, chuckling soflty. "It wasn't awkward until you made it awkward."

Annoyance replaced the playful humor that the vixen was feeling. She shook her head and balled a paw into a fist. "Nick. I oughta…" Snow advanced towards the fox. Nick, knowing the antics of his partner, quickly spun around the couch and started to yawn, while looking at his watch "Well, look at the time, Snow! I gotta get going home! Thanks for the talk, the coffee and listening!"

Snow snorted. "You don't even have a watch!"

Nick looked at his bare wrist. "Well, look at that! But, you know… gotta go! Sleep calls and all that!" With that, he turned around and started to leave the room.

"Nick?" Snow called out, stopping him.

When the vulpine turned around to face her, the vixen smiled and spoke, "Anytime. My apartment is open for you."

Nick relaxed. "Thanks." He sighed and opened the door, stepping into the hallway. The vulpine turned around and looked at his partner behind him, Judy's death reminding him that life was unpredictable. He stood for few seconds, taking in the figure of Snow, and committing it to memory. Finally, he nodded his thanks, and closed the door behind him.

As soon as Snow heard the door close, and saw the knob untwist, the vixen threw her paws up in the air with exasperation, her mind still lingering on the kiss. She shook her head and looked back at the picture that was on the coffee table. _Maybe I can finally move on…_

"What am I thinking?" Snow spoke out loud, emotions building up as she fought a battle with herself. "I can't get together with Nick…. We're working together and I…" she shook her head, "I don't want that to happen again." A sob escaped her lips as her paw felt the jagged glass of the picture. She sighed and shuddered, as she turned around and placed it back where it belonged. Nick was a very handsome, smart, and capable vulpine. It's been a long time since she had the feeling of intimacy and love. She imagined herself with the fox and small children. Suddenly, she shook her head, speaking out loud, "No," to give her the confidence she needed to establish the decision.

Not bothering to clean up the living room, Jennifer Snow made her way to the bedroom and threw herself on the bed. The vixen rolled over on her back and looked at the dark ceiling. The events that happened in the past hour raced through her mind. Finally, weariness overcame her and she fell asleep, still in her work clothes.

Her eyes snapped open when she heard her phone ring. Sunlight was streaming into her bedroom. It rang again and Snow cursed to herself. She didn't hear her alarm!

She scrambled around, searching for her phone, and after finally finding it, she clicked answer. "This is Jennifer Snow."

"Get up and get some coffee, Snow!" Wilde's excited voice cut across the line. "We're going to Sahara Square!"

Snow rubbed her eyes. "Sahara Square? Why?"

"Because we're going to a bar!"

"A _bar?_" She looked at the clock on her nightstand. "At 9:30 in the morning? What's going on Wilde? Are we celebrating?"

"When you see what happened, we will be…" Nick chuckled. "Now hurry up! I'll text you the place and I'll see you there!"

With that, the vulpine hung up the phone, causing Jennifer Snow to groan with tiredness. A day with Wilde was never boring.

/

_Zootopia – the Previous Evening_

The blue screen of the computer illuminated the Leader's tired face. They had just exited the internet and was preparing to shut down the computer. As soon as they were done, they spun around in their chair and stood up, their paws hitting the tiled floor. It had been a long day at work, and the Leader was ready to gain any updates from his minions within the Silver Clan. They shook their heads, as fury started to boil in their stomach as their plan had a very slow start. The Silver Clan was successful in acquiring the diamond, but the process of selling the asset was harder than expected. All their contacts had refused to buy the diamond off from them for the asking price, but the Leader had one last animal on his list. If this animal refused, then the Leader would have to change the plan, and he needed to change it quick.

The Leader pulled open the desk drawer and after spending a few minutes rifling through the files, the Leader's paw felt the flashdrive that rested on the bottom of the drawer. They smiled with victory, as his plans and schematics were still on the encrypted hardware. All they had to do was to sell the diamond, gain the money, and use it to continue the operation.

But there was still the matter of the fox. The Leader growled with frustration and shook their head. They balled their paws into a fist and slammed it on the desk, the sound echoing through the empty room. _That Fox needs to die…_

As soon as the through entered their mind, the Leader remembered what the Master had always drummed into their heads. _Kill the beloved animals, and Zootopia will collapse from within._

"I will make you proud, Master."

_You need to make them all pay. Every single cop and politician. It is up to us to destroy them. A better future underneath the Silver Clan banner will be brought to Zootopia._

"I will, Master. I promise." The Leader whispered underneath their breath. Suddenly, the Leader's anger melted away, as they smiled sinisterly. They were willing to be patient, and they knew that the plan for Nicholas Wilde would be a good one. To execute him in public, would throw Zootopia in chaos, and the ZPD would be hard pressed to keep control. In the chaos, the Silver Clan would continue to work underneath the shadows, and free from the lingering threat that was Nicholas Wilde. The Leader took a deep breath as the fox appeared in their mind and they growled softly to themselves. _The day of reckoning is coming!_ They smiled as they knew that their contact would take care of the fox. The Leader placed the flash drive into the computer and after entering their password, clicked on a folder. The Leader then clicked on a file that they was able to download from the Zootopian Police Department database. It was easy to get into the database and it required no skill on the Leader's part. The picture of the contact appeared, and the Leader read the descriptions, a smile appearing on their face.

_A ruthless killer, yet an obedient servant. They've been an important asset to the Clan. _The Leader thought of when they conversed back and forth. But the animal got their trust when they reported about the death of Duke Matthews. The Leader nodded their head. This animal would continue the plan and would have the honor of killing Nicholas Wilde. At first, the Leader was unsure, but the animal proved themselves repeatedly.

The exited the file and took out the flash drive. As they placed it back into its hiding spot in the drawer, the Leader sighed and shook their head. A list of everything possibly going wrong appeared in their mind, but the Leader was confident in their killer.

Yet, the Leader shook their head. There was one thing that they regretted, and that was to meet all their contacts personally. But the Leader knew that it could not be so, as that was how the Silver Clan operated, behind the shadows and through subterfuge. All identities were hidden and even the closest Clan members, the animal included, did not know who the Leader was.

A small beeping noise was emitted from their pocket, and the Leader reached into their pocket and pulled out the phone. They smiled a thought entering in their mind. _Speak of the devil,_ the Leader thought as they unlocked the phone and saw a text.

After reading the text, the Leader exited back to the home-screen and went into contacts. They pressed a single button on the phone and held it down. As soon as they did, they raised it to their ear. As soon as the other animal on the other end of the line picked up, the Leader spoke, "Fey failed us. She got two."

"I know." The Stranger responded, their voice robotic. As part of their agreement, the Stranger wanted to conceal their identity from the Leader by using a voice scrambler. The Leader originally scoffed at the idea, but agreed to it, knowing that the identity of the Stranger would be known, and it was proved through the file that they had found. Finally, the Stranger spoke up, "Will two officers be enough?"

The Leader nodded to themselves. "The death of Nick's closest friends will be enough to throw him off our trail. The capture of Fey is very unfortunate, but it will not hurt our plans."

"I see." The Stranger responded. There was a pause, and they continued, "Do I need to silence her?"

"That is not necessary." The Leader answered. "She will not betray the Clan."

"Are you sure, sir?"

"Yes."

"Okay." The Stranger responded. "What do you want me to do?"

"Continue the plan." The Leader spoke. "Central Park. Noon. Do it soon, or the only dead body will be yours."

"As you say, boss." The Stranger responded. They hung up with a click, and the Leader smiled to themselves. They placed the phone back into their pocket.

_ Soon, the Silver Clan will control everything!_

/

_Zootopia – Sahara Square._

"Let me get this straight," Jennifer Snow spoke up, her hands raised in the air with surprise. "A friend of yours just happened to stumble upon a diamond?'

Nicholas Wilde nodded his head, while leaning on his Mustang. "That's right."

"But it's not a diamond. It's _the_ diamond?"

"That's the second time you've been right."

"Tartuo's diamond?"

"Uh huh." Nick spoke, his eyes not once leaving the building across from him.

"The same diamond that you got shot over when you were heroically saving the kid?"

"That same one."

"So, what're we doing here?" Snow asked. "Why are we at a bar?"

"I told you, Snow. We're meeting a friend of mine, who has the diamond."

"And how does he have the diamond?" Snow asked, "and how did he know that it was the same one?"

Nick shrugged. "I intend to find out." As soon as he said the sentence, the straightened himself. "That's him. He's coming out of the bar."

Snow turned around and sure enough, the bar door opened, and a fennec fox walked out of the building backwards. He was laughing uproariously, at the crowd inside the building. Once the doors shut, the laughter stopped immediately, and the animal turned around, and started to walk quickly towards the vulpine.

Snow scoffed. "He's already drinking at 10 in the morning?"

Nick shrugged. "It's five-o'clock somewhere."

Snow rolled her eyes and looked away from Nick. As Snow watched the fox walk, she noticed that not only he was short, as was accustomed to foxes of his breed, but he walked as if he had a lot of anger in him. The fennec fox had sandy fur, and a black nose. His brown eyes shone underneath the morning sun. He wore a black bowling shirt with a red stripe, olive shorts, but those were not the things that caught Snow's eyes. It was his long ears, and his youthful look.

"Finnick!" Nick called with joy. "How've you been?"

"I've been better," Finnick growled. "I need your help, Nick."

"That's why I'm here, buddy. Before you get started," Nick jutted a thumb towards Snow. "This is my partner, Jennifer Snow."

The fox turned and looked at the animal next to him and saw an arctic vixen. At the sight of her, his angry demeanor disappeared, and the fennec fox tried to put on what he thought was a winning smile. "Ah, Miss Snow… you're a cool glass of milk. Would you like to try some of this cookie?"

As soon as Finnick spoke, Snow knew that she wouldn't like the fox. Instead of trying to make nice, she spoke the first sentence that appeared in her mind. "I can't." She nodded towards Nick. "He'd have to arrest me for having relations with a minor."

Finnick's smile disappeared as he growled again, angry at his height. "I'm _not_ a kid. It's because I'm short isn't it? _Isn't it?_"

Snow smiled, knowing that she scored a victory. She had already decided that she didn't like the fox. "Don't objectify me, _ever_ again."

Finnick rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You just can't take a compliment."

"What did you say?" Snow spoke, her body stiffening. _Who does this fox think he is? _She stepped forward to give a scathing insult, but Nick interrupted.

"Alright, everybody…" The vulpine stepped between his partner and his friend. He gave a calming smile as he looked at both animals. "Can we get along? Please?"

Snow nodded her head, bring her anger back underneath her control. At the nod of her head, Nick looked pointedly at the short fox, and Finnick sighed. "All I'm going to say is that she's lucky I don't have a bat with me."

Snow scoffed, "You couldn't even reach me if you tried." The fox shot back, a small smile on her face, knowing she scored a second victory as Finnick directed his curses towards her underneath his breath.

Ignoring both of the animals, Nick continued, "Good. Now… Finnick. What's the story?

Finnick snorted. "Ever since you left to become a cop, Nick, thanks for that by the way, I had to find a new partner. His name is Sly and he's a ferret. We've hustled, here and there, until he tried to rope me into joining this… this cult of his."

"Cult?"

"Yeah." Finnick nodded his head. "They had a name and everything. Can't even remember what it's called, anyhow." He shrugged. "But I refused. That ended our partnership. But… I've never trusted ferrets. Especially that Duke Weaselton!"

"Duke's a weasel, buddy. Not a ferret."

Finnick shrugged. "Weasels… ferrets… they're the same thing!" At that response Nick looked at his partner and rolled his eyes. Snow cracked a small smile. Finnick didn't notice the interaction and continued, "So I decided to keep an eye on him. I've kept tabs on him for several months and that's when I overheard him."

"What did he say?" Nick asked.

"Someone's looking to sell a stolen diamond on the market, and the asking price was way too high. No one was buying, but Sly wanted to. Apparently, he has the money." A thought struck the fox. "Huh… so he's richer than he looks. But no matter…" So, I thought that I'd… you know… sneak in and take it for myself." Finnick shook his head. "I'd be rich and that'd be my best hustle. I'd retire and move out of this godforsaken city."

"What did you do?" Snow asked.

Finnick chuckled. "I smashed Sly over the head with my bat, last night. Don't worry, he's still alive, except when he wakes up, he'll find himself several hundred miles away from animals." Finnick laughed loudly. As soon as he finished laughing, the fox continued his story, "So I pretended to be Sly, and the next time the animals called, I told them that they should look for a fox, and directed them to this place. They arrived and they made the drop in that alleyway over there."

Nick looked at the direction that Finnick was pointing at. "Over there?" He asked. The fox took several steps closer and saw that there was green pickup truck still parked in the road.

"That's the one. That's the same truck that arrived here." Finnick chuckled.

"What happened to them? The animals that made the drop?"

Finnick smiled hugely and started to walk towards the truck. Nick and Snow looked at each other and started to follow the short vulpine. Once they arrived at the truck, Finnick led the two animals around to the bed. He jumped up on the and grabbed the handle, causing the tailgate to swing open. After the gate opened Nick saw a mound of blankets in the bed. Finnick walked over and pulled the blankets off the bundle, revealing two unconscious animals, a tiger and a leopard.

On the ground between them was a baseball bat. At the sight of the animals, Snow jumped on the bed of the truck and placed her paws both of their necks. She sighed with relief "They're still alive."

Nick nodded and looked back at his former partner. "And the diamond?"

Finnick smiled and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a red rag and after unwrapping it, the fox revealed the diamond. Nick was caught off guard when the small diamond shone underneath the morning sun. "Huh…" the vulpine spoke as he slowly took the rag and rested it in his paw. "I thought it'd be bigger than this." He shook his head. "This looks like a normal diamond to me…"

"Nick…" Snow called out, snapping the fox from his trance. The vulpine looked at the vixen in the truck and she motioned him over. Nick folded the rag and placed it in his own pocket. Wilde jumped into the truck and saw that Snow was holding something.

"The Silver Clan." She whispered, holding the card.

"That… that… that's it!" Finnick called out, overhearing her. "That was the name that Sly told me! The cult he was in was The Silver Clan."

"So, this _is_ the Tartuo diamond." Nick spoke. He looked back at the fennec fox and smiled. "Good work, Finnick. Thanks!"

Finnick shrugged. "I heard about the kidnapping, and that the Tartuos had to give up the diamond to save their kid. Heard about you getting shot, and felt guilty that I didn't check in." The fennec fox shrugged at the sight of Nick's expression. "It's hard to do cons when you're just one animal! I wanted to make it up to you!" He shook his head, then continued, "Then when word got around the streets that someone was trying to sell the diamond, I thought that it couldn't be a coincidence." He stopped and smiled. "So, did I make up for it?"

Nick picked up the bat and tossed it back to the fennec fox. "Thank you. You've done more than I'd expected. If anything, I owe you one!"

Finnick smiled as he caught his bat. "I'll be taking you up on that."

"Nick…" Snow spoke, seeing what her partner did, "That's evidence. Finnick's a… a…. I don't know what Finnick is, actually."

Nick looked at the fennec fox and slowly nodded his head. He turned back to his partner and spoke, "Finnick was an undercover C.I, who helped us plan this operation to get the diamond."

"Woah, woah!" Finnick interjected. "C.I? I don't want to be no C.I. Think of how that'll hurt my reputation with the underground if word gets out that I've been working with the fuzz!" He stopped and added quickly, "No offense."

Snow and Nick shook their heads at the same time. "None taken." Snow spoke.

Finnick smiled his thanks, then continued, glaring at the fox. "Also, aren't C. I's supposed to be anonymous? If you turn in the diamond, you'll be the heroes and I won't be mentioned! No… just tell your boss that I found it, and I'll get more jobs with the underground. I'm even willing to do an interview." Finnick chuckled and rubbed his paws eagerly as the list of opportunities entered in his mind.  
"Yeah. That's true," Nick spoke. "But there's a problem." He jumped off the bed of the truck and spoke, "You see, this cult… this Silver Clan will kill any and every animal that gets in the way of their plans. If you get mentioned in the news, you will die. Do you want that?"

The color drained from Finnick's face as Nick spoke, and the fennec fox squeaked. "Now that you mention that… I guess… C.I sounds good." He groaned to himself and shook his head. The fox looked up and spoke, "Why do you always screw me over, Nick?" With that sentence, he turned around and started to walk back to his van that was parked in front of the truck. Calling behind him, the fox spoke, "Until next time, Nick! _Ciao!"_

Nick couldn't help but bring up the joke that he made a long time ago. "What? No bye-bye kiss for daddy?" He sniggered.

Finnick froze in his tracks and after a few seconds of silence, he took a deep breath and shook his head. He continued on his angry walk and spoke, "If Misses Snow wasn't here, I'd bite your face off!"

"So, you say!" Nick called back. "Haven't seen you do it yet!"

Nick laughed uproariously as Finnick entered his van. As soon as the fox did, a phone rang. Snow looked at the fox, and Nick shook his head. The vixen turned and started to fish through the leopard's clothing and pulled out a cell phone. It revealed an unknown number and the vixen tossed it to the vulpine.

Nick grabbed it and looked at the leopard. He took several seconds and cleared his throat. Finally, he opened the phone and answered, attempting to sound like a leopard. "Hello?"

There was no answer, so Nick tried again. "Hello?"

Only breathing was heard, and it was that way for a few seconds. Finally, the animal on the other end hung up with a _click._

Nick pulled the phone away from his ear. "That was weird." He mused. "Wonder what that was all about." The fox shrugged grabbed the vixen's paw and helped her out of the truck. "Let's call for back up and get these guys in."

"I'm with you, partner." Snow responded. "And remember… by the book."

Nick smiled. For the second time that night, he felt free. Free of any guilt and shame, and just like with Judy, he felt that he and Snow could conquer anything that came their way. "We'll take them all down. One by one… by the book."

As the fox turned away from the semi-truck and strode towards his mustang, his mind replayed the events of that night. The image of him pouring out his soul, and Snow listening, to be followed by Snow telling him the story of her husband flashed through his mind. But the one that stood out most of them all was the kiss.

_The kiss._ Nick smiled to himself. He looked up at the morning sky and saw the clouds. He pictured Judy in the heavens, staring back down at him, smiling… being proud.

_Thank you, Judy, for everything._

_/_

_Zootopia – Unknown Location – Several hours earlier_

The phone rang on the checkered tablecloth next to the stranger's plate. They looked sideways at the device, picked up their napkin and wiped their mouth. After clearing their throat, the stranger picked up the phone, clicked answer, and placed it next to their ear.

"Hello?"

The stranger sat, looking through the window of the café at the darkened Central Park. Earlier, in the afternoon, they had been scouting the area for a good place to do their next job. Their boss had insisted on it, and the stranger knew that they couldn't refuse. Peals of laughter could be heard from outside as the door to the café opened. An animal walked inside, looked around the small crowded room and after making eye contact with the stranger, made a beeline towards them. The stranger, momentarily losing focus as the animal slid into their booth, immediately started to listen to her boss on the other end of the phone.

"I know that she only got two officers." They said. "Will it be enough?"

At the response from the other animal on the phone, the stranger nodded. "I see. Well, do I need to silence her?" A pause passed, then the stranger spoke again. "Are you sure, sir?" After that response, the stranger sighed and continued, "What do you want me to do?"

The Stranger nodded at their boss' answer and spoke, "As you say, boss."

They hung up the phone and looked at the animal, sitting across from them. They looked at each other with silence, then the stranger picked up their fork and started to eat the half-finished salad that was before them. As they ate, the other animal folded their paws together and set it upon the table. Finally, he spoke, his deep voice rumbling. "Nick quit."

The stranger stopped chewing, then slowly looked up. They finally swallowed their food and after taking a drink of water, spoke. "Is that a good or a bad thing?"

The animal leaned back in the booth and sighed, rubbing his temples. "To be honest, I don't know. Ever since… you know," the animal looked around in the diner, making sure that no one was listening, "_her _death, he's been off the rails and very unpredictable. That's why Jennifer Snow's been brought in. But…" the animal sighed resignedly, "I don't think she made a difference."

The stranger shrugged nonchalantly. "Isn't that the whole point, though? We needed to control Nick one way or another. But with him out of the picture, and off the force, we can finally figure who's in control of the whole thing."

The animal chuckled. "Do you really think that Wilde will stop investigating even though he quit? Sure, his resources would be depleted, but… that is one smart fox."

The stranger couldn't help but feel pride. Keeping an expressionless façade, the stranger responded, "Good point. So, would it be better to bring him back onto the force? Keep holding out hope that Snow could…" they shrugged, "Bring him back to normal?"

The animal nodded silently. A couple of seconds of quiet passed between them, then he spoke, "His paperwork hasn't been processed yet. So technically, he didn't quit. But I'm going to hold out for several days then process it." He shook his head. "I hope he comes back."

The stranger jabbed their fork into the pile of lettuce and brought it into their mouth. The animal spoke, "What's going on your end?"

After they swallowed, they sighed. "I'm not getting any closer. My boss' been hiding their identity for this long and they're doing a good job in covering their tracks. He… I think it's a man… has been stonewalling me for so long, I don't even know what to do."

"Just keep at it."

The stranger nodded. "Boss _still _wants me to kill Wilde out there in Central Park. He has something planned."

The animal harrumphed as he looked through the window into Central Park. "Eliminating Wilde in such a public space is a genius idea. That would throw Zootopia in chaos when they find out that their favorite fox is dead." He paused then looked back at the stranger. "I was just told that Nick left for several days, and that he's back." The animal paused and sighed. Finally, he continued, "Does he know that Nick just got in from out of town?"

The stranger nodded again. "He just called me before you came in. He has eyes and ears everywhere in Zootopia, all for the Silver Clan. I mean, I know the organization was big, but I didn't know that it was _this_ big."

The stranger took another bite of their food and continued, "What do you think? Should I do what _we_" they pointed at each other, "came up with instead?"

The animal sighed, leaned back and folded his arms. A few minutes passed and he slid out of the booth. After making sure he had everything on hand, the stranger looked at the animal and spoke, "Well?"

Chief Bogo looked back and responded, "Do it."

**A/N: Just a quick update. Everything is going good at my end. School's busy as usual, but I'm glad I was able to get this chapter done. Hope you all enjoy this one, and I have a plan for the next chapter for this story and Bloodhounds. So stay tuned and have a wonderful March!**


	13. Chapter 12: The Reveal

Chapter Twelve: The Reveal

_Zootopia – Central Park_

The morning sun shone down on the Stranger's back as they walked towards the high-rise that overlooked Central Park. Ignoring the peals of laughter and chatter from the animals around them, the Stranger was focused on their task. Their paw gripped around the handle of the briefcase, as they strode towards the glass doors of the building.

The Stranger was in deep thought until they were snapped back to the present when they bumped into an animal. After muttering their apologies, the Stranger continued their way. With each step that they took, their heart started to beat faster and faster. Sweat started to roll down their face, as their breath became shakier and shakier. Once the Stranger reached the glass doors, they opened it and was greeted by the cool breeze that the air conditioning provided.

As soon as the Stranger stepped inside, they immediately moved to their left, out of the way of the pedestrians who followed them inside. The Stranger turned around, and placed a left paw on the pillar, attempting to control their shaking breathing, while their right paw had a firm grip around the handle of the briefcase. This job was important, they knew, as it could go one of two ways: the destruction of the Silver Clan, or the destruction of the Zootopian Police Force, and eventually Zootopia itself.

The Stranger nodded to themselves and stood up straighter. After a few minutes of gaining their composure, they turned around, straightened their tie, and walked towards the front desk in the lobby.

An elderly female bear with glasses perched on her nose was focused on her work and didn't hear the Stranger approach her. The Stranger waited for a few minutes and spoke, "Excuse me?"

The female bear looked up and saw a smartly dressed animal looking back at her. She gave a tired smile and spoke, "How can I help you, dear?"

The Stranger nodded their head. "I've got an appointment with Mr. Livingston. Donovan Livingston, I believe?"

The bear nodded her head and spoke, "I'm sorry, dear. Mr. Livingston's out today. Would you like to reschedule?"

The animal shook their head. "Mr. Livingston told me that I could go upstairs and wait for him in his office. Can I do that?"

The bear immediately shook her head. "It's against policy, dear. I'm afraid, I can't allow that."

The Stranger gave a sad smile and nodded their head. "Thank you. I appreciate all of your help." They started to turn around and walk away, until a thought struck them. The Stranger stopped in their tracks, and put on a winning grin, before turning around. "But the problem is, I need to give this paperwork to Mr. Livingston. He represents my boss' firm and…" the Stranger chuckled softly, "The trial is in several days, and Mr. Livingston needs these _now_." The animal raised the briefcase as shook it slightly as to emphasize the point.

The bear hesitated. Finally, she nodded her head and turned around in her chair, "Hang on a minute, dear." She stood up and slowly walked towards the door that was behind her desk. She opened it and stepped inside.

Even though it was several minutes that passed, it felt like hours to the Stranger. They started to pace back and forth impatiently, as they continued to look at their watch. They knew that they were several hours early but wanted to get this job over with it. Finally, the squeaky hinges caused the Stranger's ears to perk up, and he turned around. Behind the elderly bear, was a lion, in a security guard uniform. The Stranger smiled and took a step forward, while their eyes looked the lion up and down. He was wearing the standard security guard outfit, in dark blue and a black tie. Around his hip was a belt that had a taser and pepper spray attached to it. A squeal was heard, and the security guard immediately adjusted his walkie-talkie, and nodded at the Stranger.

The bear picked up a white card with red letters on it. Clearly visible was the word, "VISITOR" and the bear handed it to the Stranger. "You can go to his office, it's on the eighth floor, west wing." She spoke. This card will allow you access to the elevator, and Steve, here, will keep an eye on you.

The lion nodded his head at the mention of his name. The Stranger gave a disarming smile, grabbed the card and nodded their head. "You've helped me so much, thank you." The animal spun around with the card and started to walk towards the elevator. Steve the lion started to follow, their paw resting softly on the taser that was on their belt.

The Stranger pressed the button on the elevator and looked at the security guard. They smiled, but Steve didn't return the smile. Rather, Steve kept his eyes directly forward at the elevator doors. The doors opened with a ding, signaling the elevator's arrival, and the Stranger stepped inside, with the lion in tow. Once they arrived in the elevator, the Stranger saw a slot for the card, and started to swipe it. They failed several times, before Steve rolled his eyes, grabbed the card, flipped it around and swiped it. A green light flashed, and Steve spoke, his deep voice rumbling through the elevator "Eighth floor?"

"Yes please, thank you."

The lion nodded his head and pushed the button. As the doors closed, the Stranger smiled to themselves. The plan was going off without a hitch.

Silence reigned between the two animals, except for the music that wafted through the speakers of the elevator. The Stranger cleared their throats, looked at Steve and spoke, "Did you catch the game the other day? That was a nail biter, that one."

Steve grunted, but gave no response. The Stranger shrugged their shoulders and looked back at the clear, silvery elevator doors. As soon as they reached the eighth floor, the doors opened, and the Stranger almost jumped with delight. In front of them was a crowd of animals, waiting to get on the elevator. At the sight of the Stranger and Steve, the animals parted ways, providing a pathway through the small group. The Stranger smiled politely, and after targeting an inattentive animal in the back of the group, they started to walk towards them. As they did, their eyes scanned the animal, a female feline, dressed in a black skirt, white buttoned-down shirt and a black jacket. But clipped to the bottom of her jacket, within easy reach, was another key card.

_Oh honey… _the Stranger thought to themselves. _You must be new_.

Keeping their attention to their right the Stranger bumped into the cat, with their left shoulder. The animal gave a squeak of surprise, as she felt a rough body hit her. But the Stranger was quick and efficient. With their left paw, they grabbed the key card off her jacket, and immediately hid it within the sleeves of their suit. The Stranger mumbled their apologies as the cat glared at them. The Stranger turned around, and after assuring that the key card was still nestled safely in their sleeves, continued their way.

The Stranger and Steve finally reached Donovan Livingston's office. At the sight of the door, the Stranger turned around and looked at the lion. They held up the briefcase and spoke, "I'm good here, I don't need you anymore. These documents are for Livingston's eyes only."

The lion grunted and shook their head, but the Stranger pressed on. "What am I going to do, Steve? There are animals everywhere on this floor. All I'm going to do is just slip these papers underneath the door… but these papers, they're need to know, and you don't… need." The Stranger smiled a bit, hoping that the lion would leave.

Several seconds passed, and Steve grunted again, but nodded. "Alright, don't do anything stupid. You know your way back down?"

The Stranger nodded their heads, and after thanking the lion, the animal turned around and placed the briefcase on the floor. They pretended to open the lid, but as they did, they turned immediately around and saw that Steve had disappeared. Instead of standing up and making a beeline to the elevator, the Stranger spent a few minutes, pretending to gather the papers within the case.

Finally, the Stranger closed the briefcase, stood up, turned around and walked towards the elevator. They pressed the button, and the elevator doors opened within a second. The Stranger exhaled softly, not believing their luck. They stepped inside, turned around and pulled out the key card that they had taken from the cat, and swiped it. As soon as they did, they clicked on the fifteenth floor, knowing that it would take them to the vantage point that they wanted

The elevator moved, taking the Stranger with it. Within a few seconds, the doors opened, and the Stranger was greeted to a vast empty space, used for construction. The Stranger smiled to themselves and was glad that the intelligence that they had gathered about the building was accurate.

They moved out of the elevator, and after it closed, the Stranger immediately walked to the center of the room, turned right and went towards the open window. They looked out through the window and saw that they had a clear view of Central Park. The Stranger smiled to themselves as they watched animals mill below them. _In plain sight…. Just what the Boss wanted._

The Stranger looked down below the windowsill and recognized their rifle case. They shook their heads. _How'd Bogo get this up here? _They chuckled to themselves. _I'll have to ask him._

The animal knelt and unlocked the case with their key and opened the lid. Their eyes met the familiar sight of the rifle, and after checking to make sure they had everything, the Stranger closed the case. They stood back up, looked at the park and checked the time.

10:45 am.

The Stranger nodded their heads and sat down on the windowsill, watching the animals below them. They reached in their pocket and pulled out their phone. After pressing a number, the line started to ring. After a few seconds, an animal on the other line picked up. As soon as the Stranger heard the _click_, they spoke, "I'm here."

"Good." Bogo responded. "Remember the plan, stick to the plan, and this will be all over."

"What's the status on Nick?" they asked.

Bogo grunted. "He's still off the force. Even though Snow returned the diamond, I know that Wilde was there with her."

"So how do I get Nick to this park? What's the status on him?"

"Stick to the plan. He hasn't come back yet, even though Jennifer Snow returned the diamond. She says that she was alone, but I know that Wilde was with her." Bogo was silent, then continued, "Wilde can't resist. He knows that we're understaffed, especially with the deaths of Wolfgard and Rizzoli, along with the imprisonment of Fey. Not to mention that Hornigold's out. The only officers that are available will be Snow, and where Snow goes, Wilde will follow. I will make sure of it."

The Stranger nodded to themselves and hung up the phone. As soon as they did, they pressed another number and waited.

"What?" That was the Leader.

"I'm here."  
A small chuckle erupted from the Leader's lips, causing goosebumps to rise on the Stranger's body. "Good. That's good. My men are already on the ground. Wait until 11:15 and make the call. Make sure that Nick's there and kill him. Make sure he is _dead!"_

The Leader took a deep breath and continued, "Nicholas Wilde has found the diamond."

The Stranger wisely was silent, as the Leader continued "So our money is gone. My whole plan is ruined. So please, kill him. And must I remind you that it will be _you_ that will be dead if you don't complete the job."

"How'd he find it?"

"I don't know!" The Leader roared with fury. "I called the animals who were supposed th make the sell and guess who picked up the phone? Nicholas Wilde!" The Stranger cursed loudly. "Nicholas _Wilde!" _

The animal cleared their throat and spoke, "It will be done, Boss. But if I may interject, three animals? Isn't that overkill?"

"I didn't ask you for your opinion!" The Leader snapped. "That fox has been a thorn in my side, and I want to destroy him here and now!" The Leader paused for a second before continuing, "Besides, three gunmen will cause more chaos. That's what we need. Chaos."

"As you…"

The Stranger was cutoff when the Leader hung up the phone. They shook their head sadly and placed it back in their pocket. Finally, after looking down at the park below, they sat down on the windowsill and watched the animals laugh and play.

Now all they had to do was to wait.

/

_Zootopia – Outside ZPD_

Jennifer Snow took a bite of her sandwich, and as soon as she did, part of the filling of the sandwich flew out of the end and fell, hitting the brown paper bag on her lap. Through chewing, the fox groaned to herself, placed the sandwich down and opened it. She picked up the discarded ingredients and started to remake her lunch. When she was done, she picked up her sandwich again and started to munch on it, happy that her hunger is finally satisfied.

_It's been a wild several days, _she thought to herself, shaking her head. _That's a lie. This whole partnership with Nick was a rollercoaster._

She sat on the bench, overlooking the green grass of the small park that was next to the ZPD. Out in the distance, she could see a group of uniformed kids playing soccer, with their parents cheering on the sidelines. As she watched, she quickly munched on her lunch, but found herself thinking of all the events that happened between them in their partnership.

Everything from the arsonist to the child molester and finally ending with their conversation in the apartment raced through her mind. She was putting the last bite in her mouth, when her thought rested on the kiss.

Her lips tingled as she replayed the event in her mind, and the vixen smiled softly to herself. She loved it when Nick had made the first move. But as soon as she thought of the kiss, Snow immediately scoffed to herself. _We need to be friends… Nothing more._ The vixen shook her head and started to crumple her sandwich bag and place it back into her brown paper bag when her phone rang. Snow pulled out her phone and quickly looked at the Caller-ID, and after seeing who it was, she sighed to herself. _The job's never done._

The vixen wiped her mouth with a napkin that she pulled out from the paper bag, cleared her throat and pressed "answer."

"This is Snow. What do you have for me Clawhauser?"

"Dead body, on the beach of a river in Rainforest District. You need to access it via the Monkey Trail. According to the hikers who found him, the body's a little less than half a mile from where you start." The fat cheetah spoke. "We have a patrolman on scene, and CSI's are on their way. You need to get there now."

"Thanks Clawsie."

"Should I call Nick?" Clawhauser asked.

Snow shook her head, then realized that the fat cheetah couldn't see her. "Er, Clawhauser… Nick's not with the force anymore, remember?"

There was no response from Clawhouser for a few seconds. Finally, he spoke, his voice tinged with sadness. "That's right. I keep forgetting."

The vixen smiled. "It's alright, Clawsie. Please show me en route."

As soon as Snow said that sentence, she moved the phone away from her ear and placed it back into her pocket. She grabbed the paper bag from her lap, stood up and crumbled it in her paws. The vixen turned to her right, walked a couple of steps and threw it in the trashcan before heading towards the parking lot. Once she arrived at her car, she immediately went to the trunk. After opening her trunk, the vixen grabbed a pair of waterproof boots and swapped it out with her normal ZPD shoes. Finally, Snow pulled out a poncho, and an umbrella. After rechecking that she had everything, the officer closed the trunk and moved to the driver's seat. She got in, tossed her items on the passenger seat, started her car and drove towards the Rainforest District.

Upon arriving at the parking lot for the trail, she saw another police car, and parked her vehicle next to it. Rain splashed against her windshield, and Snow shook her head. _Seems like it's raining harder than usual…That with the body in the water… that's not good._

The vixen looked to her right and grabbed the poncho, and immediately put it on. After picking up her umbrella, Snow opened the door to her car, then opened the protective gear, the raindrops hitting against the plastic umbrella hard. The vixen stepped out, and after placing her umbrella on her right shoulder, she closed her car and locked it. Snow looked towards the entrance of the trail and nodded her head. _Here we go._

After what seemed like a long time of nearly slipping, falling and generally making a fool of herself because of the muddy trail, Snow reached the bank of the river. It was already tied off, and other than the patrol unit that was on scene, another familiar animal was present. At the sight of her, Snow smiled and took a step forward, calling her name in greeting. "Abby!"

The wombat turned around and peered through her giant spectacles. "Jennifer! How are you doing on this, well… wet day?"

"Not too bad. I'm not complaining at all. Say, Abby… what are you doing out here? You've been showing up at crime scenes more and more lately."

Abby shrugged. "The usual guy is sick, so I have to replace him. I think he has pneumonia." She sighed. "Terrible business, pneumonia is… he's in the hospital."

Snow nodded her head with understanding. She looked over at the body on the sandy shore. "Who's that?"

The wombat didn't hear her. "I had this niece; her name was Lydia. She got pneumonia and was stuck in the hospital for several days, doncha know?"

_Oh no…_ Snow thought to herself. "Abby, please."

"Yeah, it was touch and go for the first two days." She shook her head. "In fact, the doctors had come in to see mah family and they said…" The wombat immediately stopped her. She looked at Snow sheepishly and smiled. "I did it again, didn't I?"

Snow chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Abby." After the wombat returned her smile, the arctic vixen pointed at the dead body and repeated her question.

Abby shrugged. "Don't know yet. I just got here. Thought it would be good to wait for ya."

"Thanks." The vixen reached into her poncho and pulled out white latex gloves and put them on her paws. "Let's see what, or rather, _who_ we have, here."

She stepped underneath the tape and walked towards the body with the wombat in tow. Upon arriving there, Snow shook her head. She had seen floaters in her years on the force, but still was not used to it. The body was faced first into the sand and was stripped naked. Snow squatted down, her analytical eyes scanning the victim. He was purple and bloated, but even though it was clear that the victim had been in the water, the process of decomposition just started. She looked back at Abby, who was peering over her shoulder. "How cold's the water?" She asked, gesturing towards the river with her head.

"Cold enough." Abby spoke. "It seems to have preserved him pretty well."

Snow nodded her head, then looked back at the body. It was a strange scene. For one, the body was naked. For another, the clear smooth skin was visible as there were no traces of fur, _as if someone purposefully shaved him before the dump,_ Snow thought to herself as she continued to look up and down the body.

As Abby looked over her shoulder, Snow ran her gloved paws over the skin, and sighed to herself. Finally, the vixen stood up and after folding her arms, realized that a nagging feeling was bugging her. _There's something off about him._

Snow looked over the body one more time, and finally spotted it. Down and above his bottom, was a stump, where a tail used to be. After noticing that detail, the vixen squatted again and peered closer. _It's a perfect cut…_

Someone had shaved his fur, and then cut his tail, a clear attempt to hide his identity. Snow shook her head and smiled. _Fingerprints never lie._

At that thought, she moved near the victim's head, and picked up the arm, stiff with rigor mortis, and peered underneath his paws. She was awarded with the vision of scar tissue. _Someone burned them off. What the heck?_ Snow stood up surprised.

She looked at Abby and spoke, "Fur's been shaved. No tail and no fingerprints. Someone's going through a lot of trouble."

The wombat spoke, worry on her face. "Dental?"

Snow squatted down and inched closer. She moved the side of the victim's mouth, and shined her flashlight on him, revealing gums. The fox looked back and shook her head. "What's going on, Abby?" She asked, standing back up.

The wombat shrugged. "One way to find out. We've gotta flip him over."

Snow nodded and moved around to the other side of the body. She grabbed the victim's chest and started to pull, while Abby helped her by pushing from the other side. After a second of grunting, the two women were able to flip the victim over.

Snow gasped. The body was in worse shape than she originally thought. There were deep cuts on the both of his legs, along with another cut in his shoulder. A huge bruise was evident on the side of his face, but what sold it all was the gunshot wound at the temple of his head. Another nagging sensation tugged at Snow and she stared at the body, reaching into her memory, trying to place his face.

Instead, the vixen shook her head and looked at the wombat. "Can you tell me what kind of animal he is?" Snow asked. "I mean, with him like this…"

The wombat swallowed nervously. "I can look over him right now, but there's not much to work on. I mean, I can bring out a device that's kinda like an X-Ray and get his skeletal structure and tell you what kind of animal he is."

"Can you do that?"

"Sure can, Snow." Abby responded. She turned around and spoke to another CSI that was nearby. "Hey, Darnell! Can I borrow the Beast?"

"The beast?" Snow asked.

"Not the best. It's _the beast." _Abby corrected her. "It's a handheld X-Ray, that looks like a tablet. It's not concise in what kind of specie it'll tell me, but it'll get the job done."

Darnell nodded and reached inside his jacket. He pulled out a black square, and Snow watched as the wombat take it from him. She turned it on and got to work, first standing over the dead animal's head, and slowly making her way down.

Instead of watching her friend work, the vixen turned around and walked towards the river. Ignoring the rain pelting against her poncho, mixed with the sound of the rushing water, Snow attempted to come up with a theory of how the body was dumped. _If they were in the water this long, maybe they were weighted down? _She turned around and looked back at Abby. The wombat was already at the animal's chest, the light from the tablet doing the work. Snow called out, "Do you see any bruising around his ankles or legs?"

Abby turned around and looked down. She spent a few minutes and then finally shook her head. "Not at the legs, no." Abby called back. "But there were signs at the wrist. He was bound."

Snow turned back to the river. _So, he wasn't weighted down… which means he was dumped further up the river. _That makes sense, because the river in the Rainforest District were miles long, and it would take them forever to even find the dumping point, even if they _could_ find it. Snow sighed and placed her paws on her hips.

"Got it!" Abby spoke up. At the sound of her voice, Snow turned around and walked towards the wombat. "What specie is he?"

"Like I said, the Beast isn't concise, though it does help narrow down the species list. This animal came from the Panthera Family."

"And who's in that family?"

"Oh you know, the usual… Leopards, Tigers, Lions, Jaguars, Panthers."

As soon as Abby answered, the nagging feeling became more apparent in her gut. Suddenly the memory of her in Abby's office, looking over a picture, hit her like a lightning bolt, causing Snow to gasp with shock. Abby glanced at her quickly. "What's wrong? Do you know him?"

"I…" Snow stammered. "I think so." She looked closely at the face. _Add some fur… a mane and clean up his face…_ The result she got from her imagination matched with her memory.

"Snow?" Abby tried again. "Who's he?"

The vixen spun around and grabbed the wombat, dragging her away, and out of earshot. After making sure that the noise of the river mixed with the rain covered her voice, Snow spoke, "This is not good… Not good at all." She started to pace, her paw on her forehead as she tried to decide what to do. Inside of her, conflict enraged as she wanted to protect her friend, but at the same time, her sense of duty told her that justice needed to be served.

"Snow!" Abby was nearly yelling. "Who is he?"

"Abby!" Snow stopped, throwing her paws out with exasperation. "Don't you recognize him?"

"No! That's why I've been askin'!"

The vixen looked back towards the fallen body. "That…" she sighed with frustration, knowing that Nick has a lot of explaining to do. "That's Duke Matthews."

/

_Zootopia- Central Park_

11:45 am.

The Stranger looked up from their watch and nodded to themselves. _It's go time, _they thought to themselves. They knelt on the ground and opened the rifle case. As soon as it was opened, the Stranger pulled out their cellphone and texted a number. When the message was sent, the Stranger started to assemble their rifle.

A few minutes later, a dinging noise was heard from their phone, and the Stranger pulled it out. It was a response from Bogo, which merely read, "He's on his way."

The Stranger nodded to themselves again for the umpteenth time and stood up. As soon as they did, anxiety erupted from the pits of their stomach as they pictured the fox stepping in the view of their scope. The Stranger took a deep breath and turned around, resting the rifle on the windowsill, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

/

_Zootopia – Nick Wilde's Trailer_

Nicholas Wilde picked up the last scrap of paper that was on the ground. He sighed sadly to himself, as it was the last report of the crime scene at the Zassy Zebra. The fox shook his head and placed it in the large brown box that was on the counter in his kitchen. As soon as he placed it in the box, guilt weighed heavily on his heart. Even though his trip to Judy's grave, and his conversations with both Bonnie Hopps and Jennifer Snow went well, he still felt the pangs of guilt in his heart, and the vulpine knew that it was something he would have to work through.

Wilde pulled out his phone and checked the time.

11:07 am

He sighed again, knowing that Bonnie's conversation with him helped him jump start his ability to move on, and Snow allowed him to make headway, but this was something he had to do by himself. The vulpine knew that if he had held onto everything from Judy's case, he would go back down into the rabbit hole.

_And I don't want to do that again, not when I've finally come back out_

Nick looked back into the box and saw Judy's face. The vulpine took a deep breath and exhaled. _By the book. By the book._

With that in mind, the fox grabbed the large box, turned around and walked through the front door of his trailer. After he stepped down onto the concrete, he made a beeline towards his Mustang, where the trunk was already opened. Once at the car, Nick placed the box inside, and closed the trunk, knowing that he would have to take it to the ZPD and be prepared to close the chapter of his life.

But was he prepared for that? _I… I can't do this, Judy. I feel like I'm shutting you out._

The image of Jennifer Snow entered his mind, and Nick's heart felt lighter. Maybe this was the only way to move on. He replayed the kiss in his mind, and even felt the pain in his paw when Snow smacked it. The vulpine smiled stupidly to himself. _Judy would want me to be happy… but that was a stupid move I made… I shouldn't have done that._ Guilt overcame his heart, and the fox sighed with sadness. _Why is moving on so hard?_

He looked back at the car and temptation overcame him. For a split second, he wanted to pull his keys out and unlock the car, take the box out and bring it back into the trailer. He wanted to dump the contents of the box and hang every single shred of evidence back up in his closet. As soon as that thought entered his mind, Nick quashed it immediately and shook his head. _I'm going to do it by the book. Like Snow says…. _A thought struck him immediately and the fox groaned to himself. _How can I do that if I'm not on the force anymore?_

Instead, Nick turned around and started to walk back to his trailer. When he stepped inside, he grabbed a boot that he used to keep the door open and closed it. The fox sighed to himself and shook his head. _Now I need a job._

He grabbed his laptop that was on the counter of the kitchen and opened it. A half an hour had passed before the fox closed it. He shook his head and muttered to himself. "What can I do? Being an officer is all I've known."

The vulpine immediately looked at his phone and spoke out loud as an image of Finnick crossed his mind. "Well, not necessarily." He stood up and walked towards the device, and after grabbing it, he started to dial a number.

As soon as he did, Judy's voice echoed in his mind _Promise me you won't go back._

Wilde groaned and looked up at the ceiling of the trailer. He threw his paws up in exasperation and spoke, "What do you want me to do Judy? I'm not a cop anymore. Being a cop and a hustler, is all I've known. Tell me, Judy! If I can't be a cop, I need to go back to the only fox I know how to be." He shook his head and continued, "Bogo's behind your death, somehow, Judy. He owes me an explanation and won't give it to me." He scoffed. "I can't work for him."

_You're the best officer I've ever seen._

"But that doesn't erase the fact that I quit." Nick shook his head. He was silent for a few seconds, staring at the phone in his paw. "In fact, Judy… or whatever Divine Being is up there, if you give me a miracle or… even a _sign_ that I should go back to Bogo and the force, let me know _now."_

There was no answer, and Wilde scoffed to himself. "I must be going crazy." He muttered as he dialed Finnick's phone number. He was about to put in the last digit of the sequence, when the cellphone rang.

Nick jumped with surprise and looked at the caller's-ID. He did a double take and looked up at the ceiling. He pictured Judy in the heavens, her arms folded and a smirk on her face. The fox shook his head, looked back down at the phone and spoke with a normal voice. "Well, hallelujah!"

He pressed answer and spoke, "What do you want, Bogo?"

"Wilde…" the Chief started.

"If you're calling to give me an explanation, now would be a perfect time to hear it," Nick interrupted. "Otherwise you can bugger off!"

"Wilde." Bogo paused. "You're right. I do have some explaining to do, but now is not the time."

Nick scoffed. "Then why are you calling? Judy was my best friend, Chief… and I had a former officer point out that _you… you, _were behind this. Tell me."

"I'll explain everything, I promise, Wilde. I can't do it right now. You're needed."

"_I'm _needed? Why? You've got the entire ZPD at your disposable. In case you didn't know, I quit."

"Because we're understaffed, Wilde! Get your head out of your ass and please come back to us. We have three officers dead, one in prison and several more wounded and cannot work. We need you back in the field. _I _need you." There was a small pause, before Bogo continued "Wilde, someone's called that there's a disturbance happening in Central Park. I need you to go check it out. After you do that, I will explain everything."

"Everything?"

"_Everything._"

Nick was silent for a couple of seconds, his inner turmoil clashing against each other. Finally, his desire to protect and serve won out, and the vulpine nodded to himself. "I'm on my way."

"Good." With that, Bogo hung up the phone. As soon as Nick placed the phone in his pocket, the fox shook his head. A gut warning told him that something was wrong, but the fox shook his head. Whatever it was, at least he would hear from the mouth of Bogo, why Judy was killed.

He pushed the trailer door open and not bothering to lock it, Nick made a beeline to his car. He immediately started the engine, and opened the glovebox, and pulled out his spare gun. The fox then put his car in reverse and turned around, before roaring towards Central Park.

/

_Zootopia – Rainforest District _

_ When I get to him… I'm going to be rational. I won't be aggressive. Sure… I may want to kill him, but that's a bad idea, _Jennifer Snow thought to herself as she pushed the branch out of her face. Rain pelted against her poncho as the vixen trudged up the trail, that led back to the parking lot and her car.

_Nick said he had nothing to do with this… Do I believe him? _Snow hesitated for a few minutes. She stopped in her tracks and stood up straighter, attempting to breathe easier. The vixen then though back to her conversation with him.

_ I had nothing to do with Duke… Nothing at all._ Nick's voice echoed through her mind. Snow shook her head. If she believed him and evidence turned up to the contrary, she didn't know what she'd do.

_And we've been through hell together, Nick. Please be honest with me._

Snow continued her trek up the small trail. After several minutes, she finally reached the parking lot and got to her car. She immediately opened the driver's side door and got into it, before closing it. As soon as she sat down, her phone rang. Pulling it out, Snow answered it, "This is Snow."

"Hey, Jennifer!" It was Abby. "I did my quick preliminary inspection." She spoke over the noise of the rushing wind. "But I gotta have to turn it over to the Medical Examiner who'll tell me more. But, Jennifer… you gotta know that I took a scan of the body and it showed me some bruising underneath the skin. I'm sending you the pictures of the results now."

As soon as Abby said those words, Snow heard her phone ding. She moved the phone away and opened the text message from the wombat. Three sets of pictures appeared, and the vixen looked through them quickly.

"Remember, these are all assumptions. It'll be better when the M.E does an autopsy. But before we get to the bruises, we've got no DNA… well really, we've got no evidence about who did this."

"Well, we know that Duke's been shot. It's clear from the gaping hole in the side of his head!" Snow spoke, exasperation in her voice. "Can't you start with that?"

"I already did," Abby protested. "But it's hard to see in the rain, Jennifer! There's no exit wound, so the bullet's still in his brain."

"Good, give it to the M.E. and have them fish it out. What about the bruises."

"First…" Abby hesitated. "I gotta ask you something."

"Spit it out, Abby."

"Did Nick have something to do with this?"

Snow was silent for a couple of minutes. She looked outside her car window and watched as the rain hit the asphalt of the road. Finally, she sighed and spoke, "I don't know that answer, Abby."

"Well, if he did have something to do with this, then he, or whoever did this, is covering their tracks well. Except for one thing."

"What's that?"

"The bruises. They appear on both of his shoulders, and they're green. That means it couldn't have happened more than a week ago."

"Nick saw him longer before than that…" Snow muttered to herself. "Maybe someone was with him and didn't dump the body until it was clear? But why would they do that?"

Not catching any of that, Abby continued "And it's big. I mean, they're _huge,_ Jennifer! That would mean someone of great strength would drag this lion away. I know Nick's strong, but not that strong."

Snow nodded her head to herself. "So, what kind of animal could do that?"

Abby didn't hesitate to answer. "I'd need to do some more investigating, but I'd say bear."

_A bear…_ Snow thought to herself. "Okay, Abby. Thanks for your help. Give the body to the M.E and get back to me on anything you find."

"Will do, Jennifer!"

"And Abby?"

"Yeah?"

"Do _not_ under any circumstances tell anyone else about this investigation. I need to talk to Nick, and you need to tell me, and _only_ me, what's happened to him."

"But…"

"Please, Abby. This would mean a lot."

Abby sighed. "I trust you, Snow. You'll hear from me."

Snow beamed. "Thanks Abby!" She hung up the phone and tossed it on the passenger seat. As soon as the device hit the chair, the vixen started the engine. She was ready to leave the dismal biodome.

As Snow drove towards the heart of Zootopia, frustration started to mount up. But with each building frustration, Snow started to bury her feelings deeper and deeper. She was willing to give Nick another chance, but the vixen shook her head, _he's starting to run out of chances._

"But what if he's telling the truth?" Snow muttered to herself. "What kind of partner would that make me?"

She shook her head, knowing that the only thing she had to hold on was the promise that the two foxes had for each other, and that was to be honest. Snow hoped that Nick would remember the promise that was made several days ago and honor it.

The vixen was deep in thought that she didn't hear her phone ring. It rang two more times before she snapped back to reality and picked up the phone. After clicking answer, the officer pressed the speaker button and balanced the phone on her leg. "This is Snow."

As Snow listened to the voice on the other line, her heart started to race, and her breathing became shallower. Fear and anxiety clashed against each other in her soul as she listened to the caller. But as the caller was speaking, their voice slowly started to dim into the background as she remembered that night with Charlie. _No… Not again…_

A horn blared, snapping Snow back to the present, and she jerked the steering wheel to the right, straightening her car. A semi-truck blared past, and Snow started to focus on the road again, attempting to control her shaky breath. The caller was still speaking.

"Where?" she demanded, cutting the speaker's voice off.

As soon as the vixen received the location, she pressed on the gas pedal. The engine roared louder, as Snow raced towards the metropolitan city of Zootopia.

/

_Zootopia – Central Park_

"Where is he…" The Stranger muttered to themselves, as they looked through the scope of their rifle. It was 12:05 pm and he hadn't showed up yet. The Stranger slowly moved their rifle away from their face and looked down towards the park, and watched the animals walk around. They knew that if more animals showed up, and the Stranger pulled the job, there would be no way for them to escape. They would surely be caught, and several months of hard work would have gone down the drain. The Stranger exhaled nervously, as a bead of sweat appeared on their face. They could always postpone the job to a different day, but it would be hard, impossible even, for Nick to make a return to Central Park.

Not only that, but the Stranger would face their boss' wrath, and they certainly wanted to stay alive, for the sake of Bogo. The Stranger sighed and moved the rifle up to their face and looked through the scope again.

They scanned over the small pond that was in the center of the park. Many adults and children walked on the sidewalks around the pond. Across the pond, a large green field, big enough to have several soccer matches happening at the same time, laid. Several goal posts lined the end of the fields. Something appeared in the corner of the Stranger's vision through the scope, and they moved to get a better view. It was a blue and yellow kite, flying in the breeze. The Stranger followed the string of the kite down to its owners and was greeted with a father and his cub, holding the reel and making sure that the kite was staying steady.

The Stranger sighed to themselves and moved the rifle away. They shook their head and muttered, "Why Central Park… Why? There's way too many animals here."

A flash of orange caught their sharp vision and the Stranger looked down to their right and saw a familiar vulpine walking across the field. _Bingo_.

They immediately knelt and brought the rifle up to their face, the scope zooming in on their target. The Stranger watched as Nick looked around the field, confusion evident on his face, as he spoke in the phone. They watched as the vulpine's demeanor changed from one of confused to anger. Suddenly, Nick was yelling at the phone, and then he hung up, putting it in his pocket.

_No… Don't turn around…_

Nick turned around and started to walk back to the parking lot. But he immediately stopped and through the scope, the Stranger saw him sigh, turn around and the Stranger froze momentarily, thinking that the fox had seen them.

Nick was looking at the building, but nothing flashed across his face that was cause for alarm. Instead, the vulpine turned around and started to walk towards the lake on the left side of the building. The Stranger followed their target with their rifle as they watched Nick get to a bench in front of the lake and sit down. After he sat down, the fox raised a right paw and balanced it on his left leg and folded his hands on his head. He smiled blissfully and closed his eyes, as the sun streamed down on his face.

The moment of bliss caused the Stranger to faulter. They loosened the finger around the trigger as they watched the fox. Guilt started to build up inside of them, as they knew that one movement of the rifle would kill him once and for all. For a moment, the Stranger pondered cancelling the job and alerting the fox somehow, but they knew that in doing so, they would destroy all the work that they had done.

A gunshot noise was heard, and the Stranger looked back through the scope. As soon as the gunshot was heard, Nick had immediately jumped off the bench and hurried towards a tree, facing the building. The Stranger moved their rifle down towards the ground and saw three animals, dressed in black and all in ski-masks shooting at the tree. _Right on time._

They brought the rifle back up to the tree and saw Nick peer around the tree. As soon as they did, one animal shot their pistol, causing the fox to scramble back.

_Come one… Give me the shot… Give me the shot…_

Nick was behind the tree for what seemed like several hours. But when he finally jumped out, his gun in hand, the Stranger almost missed the opportunity. Instinct and muscle memory from years of training kicked in and the Stranger moved the crosshair from the scope down from his head and down to the fleshy part of his side. They breathed slowly and pulled the trigger.

The bullet seemed to travel in slow motion, and it whizzed from the fifteenth floor of their vantage point and smashed through Nick's skin. From their vantage point, and over the screaming of fear, the Stranger could hear a yelp of pain that emitted from Nick.

There was no time to waste. The Stranger moved away from the fox and took aim at one of the animals. Instead of shooting at the body, they raised up the crosshairs and took aim at the skull. Within a few seconds, all three animals were dead on the ground, blood pouring out in the dirt.

The Stranger exhaled heavily, releasing the rush of adrenaline, and brought up the rifle. They looked through the scope and saw that Nick was not moving. Worry over came them, but then they started to calm down, when they saw his body twitch. They were instructed by Bogo, not to kill him, and was provided with a laced bullet that would put him in a deep sleep.

The Stranger smiled. _Sleep well._

They heard the sirens of ambulances and police officers getting closer and closer with each passing second, and the Stranger nodded their heads. Bogo had kept to the plan, by having extra patrolmen near the park. Now they would get Nick and transport him to the closest hospital.

The Stranger took the scope off the rifle and placed it in the case. As soon as they did, they pulled out their phone and pressed a number. After placing it on speaker, the Stranger got back to work on putting their weapon away.

Without bothering to say hello, The Leader spoke, "Is it done?"

"He's dead."

"Good. That's a thorn removed. And the other gunmen?"

The Stranger shook their head. "Nick got them all. All of them are down."

As soon as they said the sentence, the Stranger popped their head from below the windowsill and saw that the EMT had arrived on scene and was loading Nick into the ambulance.

The Leader snarled. "You didn't help them?"

The Stranger scoffed. "They certainly weren't helping me. They were in my line of sight the whole time. When Nick got them all, he was more exposed. I ended him. That's what matters right? You wanted the fox gone, and he's gone."

The Leader was silent. Finally, they spoke, "You're right. But don't ever talk back to me like that ever again. Now… we move onto the final phase."

The Stranger was surprised. "The final phase? What's the final phase?"

"You don't need to know until the day of, because I'll have need of you." The Leader chuckled. "Just know that by this time, next week, the Silver Clan will control the government and the police!"

With that sentence, the Leader hung up the phone and the Stranger immediately closed the case. They picked it up, turned around and started to make a beeline towards the elevator. They pressed the button and the doors opened, but they immediately got second thoughts. Ignoring the opened door, the Stranger turned around and walked to their right. They made their way down the hallway and after finding a door, they opened it. It revealed it to be stairs.

The Stranger closed the door behind them and started to go down the stairs. As they hurried down towards the lobby, the phone rang. They pulled it out and only said, "Yeah?"

"Nick will live. Apparently, it was a clean shot, a flesh wound." Bogo spoke. "He's out, though."

"That's good." The Stranger spoke as they hurried down the stairs. "Where is he being taken?"

"Faith Memorial Hospital."

"And you'll tell him?"

"Yes. Everything."

The Stranger nodded their head, smiling broadly. "That's good. I hate to cut you off, but I'm in a hurry. I'll see you later?"

"Yes."

With that, Bogo hung up the phone, and the Stranger continued their way down the stairs. Once they reached the bottom floor, they saw the key slot. Pulling it out, the Stranger swiped the key card and the door unlocked with a ding. They immediately opened the door and looked around the lobby. It was deserted, and the Stranger hurried through the building. Finally, after reaching the glass doors, the Stranger threw them open. The afternoon sun did nothing to alleviate the fear of being caught, and instead of crossing the park, the Stranger immediately turned to their right and walked down the sidewalk. Once they passed another building, they turned to their right again and pulled out their car keys.

The car chirped as the Stranger unlocked it. They pressed the trunk button and it opened. The Stranger pushed it all the way up and loaded the case into their vehicle. They closed the trunk and got into the driver seat. They placed the key in the ignition and started the car. As soon as the car started, the Stranger placed their paws on the steering wheel and gripped it tightly until their knuckles turned white. Finally, they took a deep breath, and drove towards Faith Memorial Hospital.

/

_Zootopia – Faith Memorial Hospital_

"_There's a disturbance in Central Park."_

_ "There's no one here!" Nicholas Wilde yelled at the phone. "You owe me an explanation now!" _

_ There was silence from the other end, when Bogo hung up. The fox shook his head with disgust and placed the phone back into his pocket. He turned around and started to walk back to the parking lot, but as soon as he did, he stopped. An idea formed in his mind, and Nick smiled to himself. The vulpine turned back and headed to the bench that was overlooking the pond._

_ As soon as he reached the bench, the fox smiled. It was the same bench that he and Judy would sit down for lunch whenever they were near Central Park. The fox nodded his head and moved around to sit down. As soon as he did, he raised his right leg and placed it on his left, leaned backwards and closed his eyes, as the sun streamed down on his face._

_A gunshot noise was heard, causing animals around him to scream. Nick's eyes shot open and the fox looked to his left. As soon as he did, he saw three animals dressed in black and wearing ski-masks advancing towards him, all holding pistols. They were shooting towards him, and thankfully, missing._

_ Nick sprang off the bench and ran towards the nearest tree, a strong oak. He pulled out his spare pistol from his ankle holster and cocked it. The fox took a deep breath, turned around and immediately jumped back behind cover._

_ "Disturbance in Central Park?" Nick cursed. Anger overcame him. Bogo had some explaining to do. But first, he needed to figure out a way how to get out of this. The fox shook his head, as he heard the bark of the tree splinter, as the bullet crashed through it. He watched as the animals run away from him and realized that the shooters were gunning only for him. Maybe if he died, they would leave the other animals alone?_

_ Nick sighed heavily to himself and shook his head. The first animal that popped in his mind was of the arctic vixen. _I'm so sorry, Snow… I'm sorry.

_ The second animal was of Judy, and Nick gave a small smile. At least this way, he could see her again. He was ready to move on, but at the same time, Nick knew he wanted to be with her. The vulpine took a deep breath and moved out from the cover of the tree._

_ Another gunshot was heard, and he felt pain flash through the left side of his body. Nick fell backwards onto the ground groaning, his spare pistol falling out of his paw. Immediately, he could feel his breathing become shallower and shallower, as the world slowly started to dim. _So, is this what Judy saw? _He thought to himself. _I should have been there for you, Judy…

_ The world went black_.

There was a bad taste in his mouth and Nick woke up smacking his lips. His side felt tight, and the fox placed his paw down on it, involuntarily. His paw made contact with the bandage and accidentally hit the injury, causing him to groan audibly.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a familiar voice was heard. Nick looked to his left and saw Jennifer Snow sitting in her chair, a cup of coffee in one paw and a book on her lap.

Nick chuckled with joy at the sight of his friend sitting across from him. Then realization struck him as the vulpine looked around. "What happened? Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, Wilde. You got shot."

"I got shot." Nick spoke. After Snow nodded her head, the vulpine attempted to look down at his shoulder, where a scar was being shown from the bullet wound from the first time he was shot. He chuckled to himself, causing Snow to raise her eyebrow. "I need to stop getting shot."

Snow nodded her head. "And punching the wall, the car, and anything else you did before you met me." She smiled softly. "You just need to stop getting hurt. One of these days, I'm going to have to lock you in a padded room."

Nick chuckled again. "I'd like to see you try, Snow." He smiled at her partner and spoke, "What're you doing here? I'd thought you'd be chasing bad guys?"

Snow sighed and shook her head. "Got the call from Clawhauser that you'd been shot." She hesitated, her inner turmoil battling each other. _Should I ask him now? _Deciding not to, she continued, "The case that I'm working on is with Abby. Can't do much yet. Still waiting to hear from her on the results."

"And you're here."

Snow nodded. "And I'm here. I'm your partner, so of course, I'm here."

Silence reigned the two conversationalists, then Nick spoke up, "Snow… About what happened the other day, I just wanted to apologize. It was a wrong move on my part, and…. I hope that it doesn't impede with our friendship."

"Nick… I,"

"Snow." Wilde shook his head. "We were both vulnerable and I wasn't thinking. I know that we played it off, but… I think this is a conversation that we need to have."

"Don't worry about it, Nick." Snow responded. "I accepted your apology. I agree that it was a mistake, but not only on _your_ part, but on mine as well. But the fact of the matter is that we've gone through _hell_ together, and you think that a kiss will hurt our relationship?" She chuckled. "If anything, it only strengthens it."

Nick smiled; his emerald eyes glowing. "Then, I'd say we need to start kissing more?"

"Nick…" Snow started, her voice giving a warning growl. Her response caused Nick to laugh out loud. As soon as he did, it died off as the fox clutched his side, groaning with pain. Snow smiled, and spoke "To be fair, I walked into that. But the reality is, Nick… I don't want to get involved with anyone from work. I did that once and…" Snow's voice cracked with pain. "I don't want to make that mistake again."

Nick nodded his head slowly, but Snow continued, "You're a great guy, Nick and I see that. But I think that we both have a lot of bumps we need to get over before… I mean, _if _we ever dated."

Snow paused, then continued, "I'm not going to lie, Nick. I enjoyed it when you kissed me. I thought it was courageous and very stupid, in a charming sort of way. But I don't think you and I will ever work out."

Nick smiled. "Alright, to being friends then?"

_Wow… he took that in stride._ "Friends."

As soon as the vixen uttered the last word, Nick continued and spoke, "Now, I need to figure out what Bogo knows about the Silver Clan. Who is the Silver Clan and why they're doing this?" Nick shook his head, "We have Fey's word, but that's about it."

"Nick… Just be careful when you talk to Bogo. Do you really want to go down that hole?"

Nick nodded. "I need to know, Snow. Why did Bogo kill Judy? Why did he not want me to be involved?"

Snow shrugged. "I don't know, Nick. But the fact of the matter is that you need to keep your emotions in check. Listen to him." When she spoke, she heard the door open, and Nick speak, anger in his voice. "Well, speak of the devil."

Chief Bogo strode into the room, his large frame blocking the ceiling lights, causing the room to darken. He raised a paw and spoke, cutting off any indignant cries from Nick. "I'm going to cut off any formalities, because I know that it'll seem fake." The buffalo walked towards a chair next to the arctic vixen, and continued, "I owe you an explanation. It may not be the one you want to hear, but you _need_ to hear. I wanted to keep you in the dark, but… it didn't work out. Jennifer Snow here was supposed to keep you on the straight and narrow, but…" Bogo shrugged. "She couldn't keep you aligned.

"Did you know about this?" Nick asked.

Snow shook her head. "All he's told me was that you needed help. That's it."

"And that's the truth," Bogo continued. The Cape Buffalo moved around and sat down in the chair next to the vixen. "The Silver Clan… that's why we're here."

Nick opened his mouth to speak, but Bogo cut him off. "The Silver Clan is a terrorist organization that's been rooted in Zootopia's history for many years. The first time they've been active, was when Zootopia was founded, and they nearly destroyed the city. I'm talking about riots in the streets, predators vs prey. Animals didn't know who to trust, and the police force had their paws full. Fortunately, the police put a stop to them. They went underground and they started to plan for their next move."

Bogo shook his head. "The moves came. Many of the assassinations, bombings, fires, murders, robberies can be traced back to the Silver Clan, but we've been doing a good job at keeping it out of the press. We knew that if the press got ahold of it, the public would be in a panic. When I became Chief, I was told these things by my predecessor, and it became my responsibility to make sure that Zootopia would not fall underneath the control of the Silver Clan."

"The Silver Clan's goal is to purify the city and replace it with animals of their own ideology. However, just like any other terrorist organization, they wish to achieve their goals by fear and terror, so that when push comes to shove, they would be the only animals that the citizens could turn to." The Cape Buffalo licked his lips, and continued, "I was fortunate enough to not have the Silver Clan rise to power. When the Night Howler Incident happened," Bogo sighed, "I thought that it marked the return of the group. But I was wrong. There were no connection between Bellweather and the Silver Clan."

"But the damage has already been done," Bogo continued. "Even though you and Judy restored the peace and found the cure for those affected, the citizens of Zootopia would always wonder if the city was as safe as it appeared to be. So, I had my animals closest to me keep their eyes and ears open for any rumblings of terrorism. Fortunately, I caught a wind of the Silver Clan before they did anything. I knew that in order to find out I needed to have an undercover agent inside the Clan. Someone who would do their bidding, but still report to me."

Realization struck Nick, as he had a small flashback moment. Judy's voice echoed through his mind,_ I'm so sorry Nick. I… I just needed to tell you something…_

_This can wait!_

_But there's no time!_

Tears started to fill Nick's eyes, and Bogo looked down on the floor sadly. "So, you understand now. Judy was supposed to be the undercover agent. That hit went wrong, and I will carry that burden for the rest of my life. Judy was a wonderful officer, and a friend, and Nick…" the Chief sighed. "I hope you can find within you something to forgive me. I know how much she meant to you."

"But why Judy?" Nick spoke, his voice tight. His paws started to ball into fists with anger.

Bogo looked down on the ground with sadness. He drummed his huge paws on his legs, took a deep breath and nodded his head. Finally, he spoke,

"_What do you mean that they want to get rid of her?" Bogo bellowed. "You need to find out quickly and why!"_

"_Chief…" the voice on the other end of the phone spoke, "It's a smart plan. Ever since the Night Howler Incident, Judy's become the face of the Police Department. Think about it… if you were the Leader of the Silver Clan, and you wanted to clean the Police, who would you start with?"_

"_Wouldn't they go after someone more important, like me?"_

"_No… No offense, Chief… but you're not exactly in touch with the animals. Judy is. If the Silver Clan's goal is to cause chaos in the streets and the police force, then they'd hit Judy."_

_Bogo sighed tiredly. Being a Police Chief was hard work. He nodded his head and spoke, "Thanks, Cobra. I owe you one."_

"_You'll be sure to tell my parole officer?"_

"_Depends. Are you on the straight and narrow?"_

"_Yes sir. I got myself a respectable job. I'm stocking shelves at the grocery store! Doesn't pay much, but it's… it's a nice change."_

_Bogo smiled. "I'll tell him. Stay out of trouble now."_

"_Oh, you know me, Chief. Trouble always seems to follow me."_

_The giant Cape Buffalo chuckled and hung up the phone. But as soon as the phone went into the receiver, Bogo's entire demeanor changed. He sighed heavily and shook his head. "Bad news?" a voice spoke_

_Bogo looked up and nodded his head. "If Cobra's right, then… we're in a world of trouble. The Silver Clan's planning something big, and it's going to happen soon."_

"_Is Cobra his real name?" The animal asked. At the question, Bogo raised his eyebrow. "Alright… alright." The animal spoke. He stood up from his chair and shoved his hands into his pockets and started to pace back and forth. "But we need to get in front of this. For too long, we've been on the defensive. I think it's time we take the offense."_

"_What do you suggest?" Bogo asked._

_The well-dressed bunny was silent for a couple of minutes. Suddenly, he smiled and turned around, facing the Chief. "We kill Judy."_

"_Kill her?" Bogo bellowed. "We're not going to do that! She's my best officer. She and Wilde are unstoppable!"_

"_Not kill her, in the traditional sense," the bunny raised his paws to stop the Chief's rage. "We make the Silver Clan think that she's dead, and then we infiltrate the group. She'll be your double agent, and she'll tell us of all of their plans."_

_Bogo's rage slowly seeped away as he pondered the bunny's idea. "That's risky." The Cape Buffalo shook his head. "There's a lot that could go wrong."_

_The bunny nodded. "Yeah, but it's better than any idea we've got." They sighed and walked back to their chair. After sitting down, they spoke, "I don't know about you, but I'm tired… so very tired of always fighting a war on their own terms. Let us fight it on our rules… on our battlefield."_

_Bogo sighed. "I can't."_

_The bunny threw his paws up in the air. "Bogo! The fate of Zootopia is in your paws. We need to take action and we need to take action _now!"

_The giant Cape Buffalo folded his paws together and after a couple of minutes of silence, he spoke, "Let's talk to Judy. We'll see what she has to say."_

_The bunny smiled "I'm glad you see it my way, Chief."_

_Bogo shook his head. He reached for the phone and pulled up. The buffalo placed it next to his ear and pressed a number. "Clawhauser! Is Judy in right now? Good! Send her in. I need to talk to her."_

_After that sentence, the buffalo hung up the phone, then reclined backwards into his chair, folding his paws together. He sighed and nodded his head, as the bunny stood up out of his chair and walked until he was next to the Chief. As the minutes passed, Bogo could hear chattering get louder and louder. Soon, the familiar voices of Judy Hopps and Nicholas Wilde entered the office._

"_No, no, no!" Judy was saying. "It's not a felony, so you don't get two marks!"_

"_Are you joking, Carrots?" Wilde shot back. "He had possession _and _intent to distribute! That's a felony!"_

"_You have him on possession!" Judy's voice became clear as she opened the door. Outside, in the light, Bogo could see the bunny and the fox. "But he wasn't going to distribute. There's no evidence on that! So, you get one mark!"_

_Nick Wilde threw his hands up in exasperation, as Judy slyly spoke, "Don't forget that the deadline's today! By the time we clock out, you're treating me to dinner!"_

_Wilde shook his head. "It'll be _you_ who'll be paying for my meal, Carrots!" He punched her shoulder playfully. "You've got called into the office, which gives me time!" With that sentence, he spun around and started to race down the stairs._

"_Oy! Wilde!" Judy called out after him. "That's cheating!"_

"_No, it's not!" Wilde spoke gleefully. "It's during our hours! And I've got a cold case that's about to be solved!"_

"_Then I'm changing the rules after today!"_

In his hospital bed, Nicholas Wilde closed his eyes as tears formed. One escaped and rolled down his cheek, as the memory of that specific day came rushing back to him. He opened his mouth and spoke, cutting the Chief from his story. "I remember that day…." He started, his voice cracking. "I found the robber and brought him in before my shift was over, so I…" he smiled. "I won that bet. Judy came out of your office shaken, but she… she assured me that everything was fine. I," the fox shook his head. "I should have pushed."

Jennifer Snow looked with concern at her friend, as Bogo's voice rumbled, "She wouldn't have told you, Wilde. I made her promise."

Wilde didn't respond, causing Bogo to continue with his story.

_Judy shook her head as Nick laughed with response. The bunny turned around and stepped inside the office. Seeing another animal standing next to Bogo, she immediately straightened and spoke, "You wanted to see me, Chief?"_

_Before Bogo opened his mouth to speak, the animal looked at Judy quizzically. "What was that all about?"_

_Judy chuckled. "My partner and I have a competition on who can bring in the most arrests in a month. So far, I'm winning, but…" she glanced nervously at the clock and spoke, "I'm running out of time. Whatever you've got to say, Bogo, can you make it quick?"_

_Bogo sighed and spoke. "Judy… I need you to take a seat."_

_Judy's smile disappeared as she heard her boss' tone. The bunny obeyed and stepped forward, sitting down in the chair. Bogo opened his mouth and started to speak. As he did, Judy's facial expression changed, from concern to surprise._

_When he was done, Hopps glanced at the table, her breathing shallow and ragged. "So… they want to kill me?"_

_Bogo nodded. "The more chaos that they can cause, the more power they can gain."_

_Judy sighed. "What do you want me to do?"_

_The bunny next to Bogo jumped in. "That's where I come in. I know of a lowlife who's in jail who could…" he paused, searching for the right sentence, "Kill you." As Judy's eyes shot up to meet the bunny, he quickly continued, "But you wouldn't die. I will personally train him to hit you in a spot where you'll live. The bullet'll be laced with a drug that'll make you seem dead. Then we take you away, you heal, and you go in contact with the Silver Clan. But..."_

"_I'll be a double agent." Judy finished. "You want me to tell you what's happening in the group."_

_Bogo nodded. "That's right, Hopps. The thing that's going for us is the fact that the group members never met each other. They don't know each other's identities. So, when you're a double agent, they'll still think that you're dead."_

_Judy took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to process the information. Finally, she nodded her head. "I'll do it."_

_Bogo arched his eyebrows with surprise. "Are you sure, Hopps? There's a lot of risks involved in this."_

_Judy's eyes met the Chief, and the giant Cape Buffalo could not help but feel pride in his soul as her eyes steeled with determination. "I said, I'll do it. When can I and Nick get started?"_

_Bogo's smile disappeared. "Nick can never know, Judy. It'll be too dangerous."_

"_You mean… I can't…"_

"_You can't. It's too risky."_

"_But… It's Nick, Chief! At least let me tell him! If something goes wrong, I want to give him an explanation!"_

"_NO!" Bogo bellowed! "It'll be a dangerous job, and the less animals who know, the better!" The buffalo took a deep breath and spoke, "You'll be protecting Nick."_

_Judy's face became forlorn, which caused the Chief to feel for her. He opened his mouth to speak, but the bunny next to him spoke first. "You need to realize, honey, that if everything goes well, and we stop the Silver Clan, you can never come back from the dead. You'll have to go somewhere else, live a new life."_

_Tears formed in Judy's eyes as she struggled with her inner turmoil. The bunny shuddered again and looked towards the door. She quickly wiped her eyes and looked back at the Chief. "I need to protect Zootopia. This is my job." _

Jennifer Snow's mouth dropped open when realization struck her. She looked at the vulpine in the hospital bed, who was shaking with fury. Finally, Nick exploded

"Wait… are you telling me that the hit was _organized?_" he growled. He started to rise out of bed, but then pain flared in his side and the fox crashed back down groaning. "You and your friend put Judy in the worst possible scenario!" he yelled. "You got her killed!"

"And that'll be a burden I will always carry." Bogo sniffed. Nick was surprised to see the Cape Buffalo's eyes mist up. "When the time came, my friend planted his man into the Silver Clan and volunteered for the hit. But…" the Chief shook his head. "Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the pressure, maybe he wasn't prepared. But he misjudged and missed."

Nick closed his eyes, tears rolling down his face. _Oh Judy…. I'm so sorry…_ The memory of the night rushed back to him, as he felt her in his arms.

Nick shuddered with sadness, more than fury. "Where is he?"

"Dead." Bogo spoke, causing the fox to open his eyes quickly. "He couldn't live with the guilt of screwing the job, so he hung himself in his cell."

There was more to the story, Nick could tell, but he decided not to ask. Instead, he was silent, and allowed Bogo to continue, "With Judy gone… we had to do something, so my friend volunteered to go undercover within the Clan."

"What did he find out?" Snow interjected, giving Nick some time to process the thought.

"Nothing much. Except the Clan was forming plans to throw the ZPD in chaos. The Clan thinks that if we are disorganized, they can sneak past through our defenses and start taking over the government. But the problem was that they realized that Judy was not the only face of the ZPD. _You_ were as well. So…" Bogo shrugged. "We needed to take you out of the picture to see what their final plan was."

Nick scoffed. "And you didn't think to ask me first?"

"Would you have said yes?"

"I guess we'll never know." Nick shot back.

Bogo ignored the response and continued, "Now with you gone, my friend should be able to get the rest of the plans and together, we'd be able to stop them and get justice for all the animals that they hurt…. For Judy."

Nick shook his head. "But I've got a problem with your story, Chief."

The buffalo looked at the fox, his eyebrow raised inquisitively. "It wasn't the Silver Clan who killed Judy. It was you." His voice cracked with fury and pain.

Bogo slowly nodded his head. "Like I said, Wilde. It's a burden I'll always carry." He folded his paws together and continued. "Do you think that I don't regret making that decision?" He shook his head sadly. "I've always wanted to go back into the past and change it. I wish that I would have smacked some sense into myself, because not only did I lose a good officer, I lost a friend."

"Not only that, Bogo." Nick shook his head. "You lost me."

Bogo nodded his head knowingly. Several seconds of silence passed between the two animals, except for a noise that was emitted from Jennifer Snow slurping her coffee. Ignoring the arctic vixen, the Chief continued, "I'm not the type of animal who does this, Wilde. I usually make my decisions and I stick with it because I know that any decision, I make in my position would benefit Zootopia. But… I hope that you find within you to forgive me. I'm really, sorry, Nick. I truly am."

As he spoke, Nick listened to his voice, and was surprise to find sincerity laced within it. The fox sighed, and was silent, his mind racing. Finally, a knock was heard on the door, and Bogo nodded his head as he looked towards the door. "And in full transparency, I wanted you to meet someone.

The door opened and the Stranger walked inside the room, adjusting their suit and tie. They placed down the briefcase and took their sunglasses off their nose. After folding it and placing it in his pocket, the animal didn't move. Instead they stood there, looking at the fox.

Nick looked the animal up and down. It was obvious that he was a bunny, and that he was taller than his species. His fur was light gray, but it complimented his blue eyes. Not only was he standing straight, and perfectly still, the bunny carried an aura of authority with him into the room. But what stood out the most was the markings on his face, and Nick had never seen them on a bunny before. There were black stripes on his ears and his cheeks, and he opened his mouth to speak.

Nick beat him. "So, you're the one who shot me?"

The bunny nodded his head. "So sorry about that, mate." His accent was unlike what Nick has ever heard. "But" he smiled cockily "If I wanted to kill you, I'd wouldn't have missed."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… So, who're you?"

"The name's Savage. Special Agent Jack Savage."

**A/N: Hello everyone! I hope you all are staying healthy in these trying times! School's hectic as usual, but it is not stopping me from writing! Although, the next few months will be busy. Stay healthy and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Feel free to leave a review, and thank you for sticking with me!**


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